Remnant of His Soul
by amarx17
Summary: Slash/yaoi, no KakaIta. Sometimes it was hard for Kakashi to do his job as ANBU, but mostly it wasn't. Staying professional was harder when the mission tried so hard to break him and his partner, even if Itachi tried not to show it. Rated M for a reason
1. Prologue: A Unit of Death

**Title:** _Remnant of His Soul_  
><strong>Author: <strong>_amarx17 - Marx_**  
>Rating:<strong> _M (R to NC-17, depending on chapter)_  
><strong>Pairing(s):<strong> _None as of now._  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>_Everything related to the crime and shinobi underworld, chaps: violence, language, debatable age issues, drug and alcohol use, prostitution, sex, and psychological mindfucks. Then, on its own personal pedestal, slash/yaoi. All in a day's work._  
><strong>Summary: <strong>_Slash/yaoi, no pairings. Sometimes it was hard for Kakashi to do his job as ANBU, but mostly it wasn't. Staying professional was harder when the mission tried so hard to break him and his partner, even if Itachi tried not to show it. Rated M for a reason.**  
>Author's Note:<strong> Disclaimers are for stupid bumblefucks who can't figure out what site they're on. Also, this story is classified dark!fic — if you can't handle it, press the back button. Or flame. I like flames. They're used to make my sex life more feisty and my writing more devious. Bring it, bitches._

* * *

><p>Prologue<br>_A Unit of Death_

-October-

Sometimes it was hard to do his job, but mostly it wasn't.

He could remember the first time he killed a man. The war had been raging-raging-raging, so waiting to gain experience through simple missions was long and pointless. There were too many people dying, and not enough shinobi to hold the front against Iwa and eventually Suna, so the village had taken the lesser of two evils.

The Hokage had taken him by the arm and sat him down in one of his office chairs. "_Son,_" he had said, his tone grave and rough, "_I have a mission scroll here, but I want you to know that you do _not_ have to accept this. I will give it to someone else if you say so. If your father was here, I would run it by him, but he's not, and you're legally an adult now. I don't have to like it, but it's the truth._" He had only glanced at it for a moment before accepting — the world was in war, and he had to be a good shinobi for his village.

At four months past six-years-old, he had taken his first life as a chūnin. Sometimes, when he was alone, he could still feel the blood on his face and hands, hot and thick and dripping red.

He hadn't regretted it, and he never would.

His platoon entered the gates of Konohagakure, all rowdy jokes and would-be-offensive humour. That was normal, and him not joining in the conversation was relatively normal as well. He listened and observed as the faceless shinobi he walked with tried to overcome their sins with, well, anything that could take their mind off it.

The beauty of anonymity was that they could be crude in every way and no one would call them out on it. It didn't matter if they were racist towards their enemies while wearing ANBU masks, because they were the underbelly of a functioning society. Outside of the masks, they had to be proper (usually), but as ANBU they were monsters. The mission they had just completed proved that in spades.

Besides, no one cared. Kakashi sure didn't. They were battle-hardened shinobi, so derogatory comments about the enemies that killed their friends and family in the war was seemingly warranted. Especially with Iwa and Suna; all was fair with offensive fodder for _them_.

The tallest of their group was a man who went by the alias of Fish. He said in an arrogant drawl, "There are five shinobi on an escort mission, all from different hidden villages. The guy from Kumo pulls out a beautiful katana that gleams in the sunlight. He laughs, and then throws the sword out of the wagon, saying, 'There's plenty more where that came from in my village.' Then the shinobi from Kiri huffs and pulls out his hitai-ate, which is scratched out, and says, 'I'm a missing-nin. Plenty more of me where I come from.' Then he throws himself out of the wagon and takes off running." The team laughed, because Kirigakure was infamous for the amount of missing-nin they had listed in the Bingo book. That in itself was shocking, considering what was _legal_ in that country was atrocious.

Fish continued, "The nin from Suna picks himself up from the ground and pulls out a puppet that's filled with sand. He throws it out of the wagon and says, 'There are plenty more of these where I come from, but we're hoarders.' The puppet flies back into the wagon via chakra strings and they go back to moping in the corner. Then, the shinobi from Konoha looks over at his wagon-mates and simply slashes the Iwa shinobi's throat and throws the body out of the wagon. 'There's plenty more of that where we come from, but Kami forbid I come home with blood on me uniform.'"

The end of his joke was met with a mixture of rambunctious laughter and unamused groans. "That was shit, man," said a smooth female voice, a tone that belonged to Cat. "I gotta better one. What d'you call a bunch of Kiri shinobi running down a hill?" Without waiting for an answer, she continued, "An avalanche. What d'you call a bunch of Kumo shinobi running down a hill?" A pause, then: "A mudslide. So what d'you call a bunch of Iwa shinobi running down a hill?" With a snicker in her voice, she said, "A prison break."

That one was apparently a riot, even if Kakashi didn't quite relish the humour. He got the joke, but it was filled with stereotypes. Then again, all racist jokes towards enemies in or out of war were stereotypes, because they had to dog on someone.

A smooth, teasing voice belonging to Bear said, "What's the difference between a Iwa shinobi and a bag of shit?"

Kakashi rolled his eyes under his porcelain mask, because he knew no one would see it. He answered dully, "The bag," and was immediately cheered on by his team-mates. One pat on his back would've knocked him off his feet if he had been a civilian, but he didn't even stagger in the wake of it.

The shortest in their group with the moniker of Raven said in a deceptively deep voice, "How do you circumcise a Iwa shinobi?" Everyone just stared at the small kid, because it was rare for him to even _speak_, let alone _joke_. Then he answered himself, "Kick his sister in the chin." There was an explosion of laughter from their eight-man group and even Kakashi cracked a smile beneath his two masks.

Cat said, "Good one, kid, but I got one for ya. What d'you call five Suna shinobi hanging from a tree?"

"A fun Friday night?" asked Fish with a snicker.

"A Konoha windchime, you imbecile."

Kakashi felt the need to interject on that one. "We have much more self-respect than that. Well, except in the case of Ibiki or Orochimaru, but they're special cases. We'd have to give the honour of that morbidity to Kiri, because I've seen it there before."

"I've got one for ya," said Bear, as they used chakra-infused legs to jump to the top of Hokage's staircase. "What d'you call a medic-nin who performs abortions on Iwa shinobi?"

Raven's shoulders tensed noticeably, but only just. Kakashi felt the urge to shudder himself, but he had stopped himself at the last moment. There was only so much he could take before he simply couldn't take it any more, and his company was edging closer and closer to the line. At least they'd separate soon to their normal lives, at least until the next mission.

"A crime stopper," said Bear, and their mildly insane group minus two laughed even harder.

It stopped rather quickly though, because they reached the double doors leading to the Hokage's office. Sarutobi had been notified of their arrival even before they had reached the gates, and the proof of that was shown through the soft glow beneath the door. Kakashi, being the captain of the mission, went to the ANBU guarding the door and said, "Cell Fourteen for debriefing."

The doors opened.

Inside, nearly hidden by a mountain of paperwork, sat Sarutobi Hiruzen, looking as unimposing as usual. Kakashi had seen the man fight before, and the short, elderly man clearly used the misconception of his appearance to the full extent. Regardless, the man was in a calm manner like usual, and looked like he fancied nothing more than a long nap.

"Cell Fourteen for debriefing," Kakashi repeated, his back ramrod straight just like the rest of the eight-man group behind him. His voice was slightly muffled behind his masks, which wasn't exactly a bad thing due to being recognised, and he fought the need to take off his black travelling cloak due to the stifling heat.

"Mission status?" said the Hokage tiredly, his fingers under his chin as he stared at them with a level gaze.

"Mission was successful. The targets have been neutralised and no casualties to report on our side," answered Kakashi. The mission had been quick but brutal, due to the fact that eight men had taken out sixteen A-ranked missing-nin. They had been causing unrest in neutral countries, and there had been rumours of a strategic ploy to conquer the nations of Fang, Waterfall, and Rice Fields. So they had killed all of them, and all of their allies, including eleven children and twenty-three women.

Kakashi had done worse, but it made his stomach hurt with phantom pain when taking the life of a child. Getting an order like that was what made his job sometimes hard, in the sense that he would never forget their faces.

The next hour was spent debriefing with the Hokage about every detail of the mission, with emphasis on their efforts to make a statement. They hadn't been quiet about it but they hadn't been blatant about it either, because they would've sent high-class jōnin otherwise, so it had been crucial to make sure that the _right_ people knew about the village who ordered the assassinations. The last thing they needed was another war over the countries.

"You're dismissed," Sarutobi eventually said, when all of them had given personal mission statements. The best part about ANBU was the lack of paperwork Kakashi himself had to do, although he didn't want to know what Sarutobi (and Sensei before him) had to do in terms of paperwork. Judging by the load on his desk, he was in for a rather long night, because classifieds were not meant to be read by just anyone.

They simultaneously all chanted "Yes sir!" before turning on their heels and marching single-file out the door. Not a word was said after Sarutobi's office door was closed, nor any derogatory jokes and comments about old and sore enemies. Everyone just wanted to go home, and Kakashi didn't blame them. ANBU was a dark, mysterious, and even _malicious_ in its deeds to service the village, so any moment of downtime was much appreciated.

They'd probably see each other later anyway. Well, anonymity was a slippery slope for someone like Kakashi, due to his heightened sense of smell and the transplanted Sharingan — he tried to avoid the scents of the ANBU he worked with, in the sake of everyone's privacy, but it wasn't that easy. Konoha wasn't a small village by any means, but it wasn't overly large, and shinobi tended to run in circles. He knew who over half of the ANBU shinobi were just by scent alone, and a good dozen more due to his Sharingan noting fighting styles that he recognised from the field.

A lot of people he worked with knew who he was. In the village he could use a henge to change his tell-all hair colour or even wear a stark white captain's cloak, but in the field he wasn't that lucky. Henge jutsu took control and chakra, and between self-preservation and suppressing his chakra to hide from enemies, he didn't have the luxury. Furthermore, his fighting style was rather unique in itself, even if he tried to not use his more well-recognised ninjutsu and dojutsu when he donned his dog mask.

He knew the names of all eight of his comrades, but he didn't let them know it. They didn't acknowledge him either when they were not incognito. They had more honour than to callously chat about things like that. It was common courtesy.

Also, they'd probably be imprisoned for leaking information like that.

Kakashi took to the rooftops the second he exited the Hokage's building, not once looking back at the people he had spent a week doing unspeakable deeds with. His soft, comfy bed was waiting for him, and he felt the need to sleep for days upon days. He wouldn't get that lucky though, because killing kids wasn't good for dreams about rainbows and butterflies.

When he reached his apartment, making sure he wasn't seen or followed thoroughly, he effortlessly disabled the traps and genjutsu that kept intruders out. When he finally made it inside, he immediately tore off his porcelain mask and _breathed_, taking in the slightly stale air of his flat. He had only been gone a week, but the dust was already littered about in the sparsely furnished room. He would have to do housework after he woke and spent his time with Obito, Rin, and Sensei. Talking about unimportant things made him feel better, helped him take his mind of the horrors of his professions (he still wouldn't trade his profession for all the money in the world).

Although his serenity would probably be ruined by that crazy, spandex-wearing taijutsu freak. He tended to find out unnervingly quickly that Kakashi was back in the village, and then he would have to be on his guard constantly to make sure he wasn't pulled into another ridiculous 'challenge'.

He replaced the genjutsu and booby traps, tore off his clothes, took a quick shower, brushed his teeth, and with a damp head he fell stomach-first into bed, stark naked and not caring.

He was asleep the second his head hit the pillow.


	2. One: A Walk Among the Leaves

One_  
>A Walk Among the Leaves<em>

-October-

Kakashi had been in the village for two days on rest when he was summoned by the Third.

It was brilliant timing — he was getting rather bored just sitting around and doing nothing. Literary porn aside, all he did was mope around his flat or spend time at the memorial, because there was simply nothing else to do. He had trained, sure, but not hard, because there was no telling when he was to be brought back for another mission and he had to make sure his chakra was high enough for emergencies.

Gai was out on a mission, so there were no impromptu challenges from his so-called rival. Ibiki and Anko were busy with a few wartime scragglers that wouldn't take 'The War is Over' for an answer. Genma, Yūgao, and Kurenai were also out on a mission, so his drinking buddies were out of commission. Iruka was god-knew-where, maybe on a mission or maybe just attempting to devise a master plan of retirement. Again. Kakashi debated on finding out, but then decided that if Iruka wasn't intentionally visible, then he probably wanted to be left alone.

So there was nothing but training and reading, and talking to his dead friends and sensei when he felt like it. Sometimes he did feel like it, but mostly he didn't; going to the memorial meant that he would be gloomy and depressed without anyone to take his mind off it, and it was going to rain later anyway.

So it was terrific timing, if not for the ominous clouds over his head. He was staring out the window, smelling the rain and ozone that signalled the appearance of a thunderstorm, and he could see the chūnin coming towards his apartment with intent. He watched the kid, probably no more than fifteen, walk up the wall to his sixth storey window, and smile brightly.

"Kakashi-sama, a scroll for you," he said, his chirpy voice in contrast to the deeply gloomy sky that swirled behind him. Even as he watched with his one good eye, he could see the streets and trees go dark with the impending downpour. He wondered why the kid was so upbeat and carefree despite the weather. However, not everyone got irritable with a drop in pressure and thunder. And they called _Kakashi_ the odd one.

Lightning was okay. Rain, cold, and booming noises that blocked out the noise of potential enemies was not okay.

Kakashi accepted the scroll and he watched as the chūnin immediately took off, rather quick on the rooftops. Maybe he wasn't looking forward to getting soaked to the bone after all, for he was really making a run for it. When he was out of sight, Kakashi sighed and unsealed the scroll, unrolling it.

Then he was up and moving after slamming the window shut, hurriedly putting on his ANBU uniform, complete with mask and his white Captain's cloak. It wasn't because the summoning was entirely urgent, per se, because it wasn't, but he didn't want to be caught in the rain. The storm, just like any mid-October storm, was probably going to last for days, and he figured that the earlier he moved out the better. Maybe he would get lucky if the briefing didn't take a long time and he was scheduled to leave immediately, because he'd be able to outrun it. Yeah, he'd think along those lines (even if it never worked out that way) and feel better about the situation. At least he'd have something to do, because the boredom was sure to be the death of him.

He bolted from the apartment building when he had reset his traps, not knowing if he was returning. In a way, he didn't want to. If he spent more time twiddling his thumbs, he was going to end up throwing himself off the mountain. He was pleased to note that it hadn't started raining yet, but the smell of rain was permeating the air around his sensitive nose. Even behind the two masks he could smell it as if it already raining, and he increased his speed.

He made it to the tower and received authorisation to enter the Hokage's office before the tell-all _plink_ of raindrops hitting the roof started. The window in the old man's office was open, and Kakashi could see out the corner of his eye-slits that it was a mere sprinkle. It was still rain though, and perhaps he should've brought a black cloak instead. Then again, did it really matter? His clothing underneath was black and grey metal, and the fabric was thick and semi-waterproof (as much as a cloak could be, anyway). He'd take it as it came, when it came.

He stood in front of the Hokage, just as stiff-backed as before, and he said in a muffled voice, "Hound, reporting in for assignment." He didn't much like his code, honestly, because it was rather obvious. Members of the Inuzuka Clan didn't usually join ANBU, and there was no one else really in the village who was known for ninken. Another way that people could point him out in a crowd, other than his rather distinct form and his recognisable silver hair. Well, and the Sharingan, but there were plenty of Uchiha in ANBU. Not enough for the Police Corps to really fuss about it, but plenty. It was a highly prestigious position after all.

Case in point: beside him stood Raven, who was young, a Sharingan user, and had all the classic Uchiha characteristics, like a broody attitude and the usual stubborn refusal to acknowledge another superior other than themselves, even if they were new-blood. Perhaps that was taking it too far though, because at least Raven could obey a direct order from a commander. Most Uchiha couldn't, somehow believing that they were better than every other shinobi in ANBU just because of their dojutsu. It was rather sad, considering that most of them _weren't._ Kakashi himself had a better understanding of the Sharingan than most of the Uchiha, and he wasn't even a compatible user. Maybe it was just that he was exceptionally good at everything he did — which was not really a good thing, really, despite what anyone said about being a genius — but he reckoned it was that he had to work extra hard to compensate for his shortcomings, namely not being born Uchiha.

There were only two others that had an understanding like he did, in a practical sense instead of a studious sense. Uchiha Shisui was in ANBU too, and was rather stubborn himself. He had a good heart though, and was a good shinobi, much more than the rest of the rather bitter Uchiha. The other was Uchiha Itachi, ten-years-old and already in ANBU himself. Kakashi didn't know much about the kid except that he was a prodigy that rivalled Kakashi himself. They were constantly being compared against one another despite their different social circles.

Kakashi had graduated from the Academy at five, Itachi at seven. Kakashi had gained chūnin status at six, Itachi right after his tenth birthday. On the other side of the spectrum, though, Itachi had him beat. Kakashi could've joined ANBU at ten himself, but he had gone for jōnin instead. Itachi had joined ANBU only two months after being advanced to chūnin, which had been another two months ago. He'd probably be a captain by twelve, thirteen tops.

Itachi was a damned good ANBU, though. His hair didn't seem to get in the way when it clearly should've, and that was a feat all in itself.

"Raven and Hound, I have a mission for you both if you should choose to accept it," said Sarutobi, his expression intense and deep. There was a flicker of _something_ in his eyes, something Kakashi couldn't put a finger on, but it was gone as soon as it had appeared. "However, before I can give you the details, there is one rather...delicate issue." After a beat of silence, where he stared back and forth between Kakashi and Raven, he said, "It's an S-class undercover mission."

That peaked Kakashi's interest, and he could see Raven stand up straighter in response. "Forgive me if I don't particularly understand the perimeters for such a mission, but those are usually carried out by experienced jōnin that don't need to be anonymous," said Kakashi.

The Third sighed. "Yes, well, like I said, this is a delicate mission. It's not customary for ANBU to be sent out on such assignments, which requires your anonymity to be forfeited, but this mission is very important and you both fit the criteria. It requires utmost precision and to be entirely honest, I don't really believe that this mission will succeed without perfection, something both of you can offer. I can assign another two-man cell if you do not wish to accept, however."

"What is the basic outline of this mission?" asked Raven, his voice even and betraying nothing.

Sarutobi frowned, and then said, "It's a long one, and is listed as infiltration. I'm estimating about half a year, but it's a guessing game on that front and it could be longer. Henge might have to be utilised if needed, especially for Hound, but it won't be to the point of chakra exhaustion. Failure to eliminate the two targets, and anyone who is also involved, could bring war to our country. Failure to keep complete anonymity about Leaf's involvement _will_ bring war to our country."

Kakashi didn't even need to think about it. If his village wanted him to be another person for around half a year, then he would do so. The henge would be to cover up the Sharingan, since he wasn't able to turn it off, and even the scar would have to go. He could do that almost constantly unless he had to do battle, and infiltration never consisted of conflict until the very end (and sometimes not even then). Losing the flimsy anonymity between Kakashi and Raven was no problem either — he knew who Raven was, and he would eat his left hand if Raven didn't know who Kakashi was. It was rather obvious on both sides.

"I accept," Kakashi said, still staring at Sarutobi through the slits in his porcelain mask.

It took Raven a lot longer to come to a decision. Kakashi could understand that, because Raven had a family and a clan and a life, really, so leaving for a long but undetermined amount of time was a big decision to make. Ignoring the selfish, personal reasons, though, it was clearly a mission of strong importance, because two rather exceptional shinobi were being taken off rotation for something that would take ages to complete. That in itself was a big deal, and Kakashi couldn't imagine Raven denying the mission.

"I accept," Raven eventually said, after minutes upon minutes of silence. The rain by that time had picked up heavily, covering the village in a fuzzy haze of water. Kakashi hated rain, because it cut off visibility and he didn't care much for being cold, but that was his upbringing talking. Fire was a warm place, consisting of thick forests and dense rainforests both. There were tropical beaches in the peninsula, but that was humid and the crime was terrible.

"Very well," said Sarutobi, and that strange flicker of emotion reappeared in the Hokage's eyes. It lingered for a moment before Sarutobi sighed yet again and said, "Take a seat and you might as well take off your masks. It's safe to assume you know each other's identities."

Kakashi whipped his off rather quickly, because it was stifling beneath it. He shrugged out of his white cloak and draped it over the back of one of the chairs, eventually plopping down in said chair rather ungracefully. He wasn't undercover as an ANBU any more, and no one really appreciated his level of social decorum anyway. He was late to everything and read porn in public, and his posture was normally terrible as it was. No use putting up a front for any longer, especially since the front was flimsy at best. His hair stood out, and his fighting style stood out more. His ninken, on the other hand, was the give away.

With a bit more hesitation, Raven took off his own mask and revealed the young features of Itachi, who seemed to be blank as usual. Itachi glanced at Kakashi with unreadable eyes, the orbs a deep ebony-brown that were rather warm due to the long lashes surrounding. He looked like a six-year-old girl, really, because he was short for his age and rather thin too. It was the hair and the eyelashes, mostly, but he moved like a dancer too, and that was girly. Or like a shinobi, but that was only a civilian perspective. Shinobi all moved differently, from Itachi's dancer-like movements, to Kakashi's feline gait, to Orochimaru's slithery sneaking, and to Asuma's block-like force of nature. Among other descriptions, of course, but that was that.

Sarutobi seemed amused when Itachi sat down much more gracefully than Kakashi's lazy posture. He handed them two files, which they immediately took in hand and flipped through. Watching them, Sarutobi said, "As we all know, during the Second Shinobi War, a very technologically advanced nation called the Land of Sky emerged. Because they sought to destroy the Five Great Shinobi Nations, they had to be neutralised for our own safety. Konohagakure declared war, and we obliterated them. I'm sure you both had relatives involved within the annihilation of the Land of Sky."

Massive understatement and Sarutobi knew it. Kakashi's mother had fought on that front, and Kakashi was pretty sure that Itachi's mother had been a young chūnin involved as well. The latter was speculation, but it was safe to assume that there _were_ Uchiha present within that particular conflict. Uchiha tended to gravitate towards massive battles like that. As a whole, they were conflict-loving bastards. They were also a bunch of inbred bastards as well, but clans tended to take that route in the irrational need for blood purity. Kakashi was pretty sure he wasn't any different by genetics, because the Hatake had been a massively powerful clan back before the Second War and inbreeding came with the territory. At least Kakashi didn't gloat about it, though.

Then they all had the nerve to keel over. Figured. Geniuses as a whole never had much of self-preservation instincts, as any true genius shouldn't.

Sarutobi continued, "There are are a series of targets that need to be eliminated, but we need as much information from them as possible. There might be additional targets that will need to be taken out as well, to prevent any future conflict for this village and others in the sake of peace."

"Sounds like a relatively easy mission that's going to be a pain in the arse," said Kakashi honestly, flipping through pages almost as fast as his cohort Itachi. The Sharingan was a wonderful thing for all of its chakra-draining evil, namely that he could read about 25,000-ish words a minute. He didn't even want to imagine what Itachi could take in. It made his brain hurt.

"Easy isn't a word that I would use," said Sarutobi, putting his chin in one upturned palm. "I know that you have accepted the parameters of this mission, but I want you to fully understand what is needed of you to complete this mission before you sign. Of course, while we know a great deal about what you will have to subject yourself to while in Sky, a lot of it is up for tentative interpretation. There's no way to know until you get back from this mission when it's completed."

Kakashi closed his folder about a minute after Itachi had closed his. Still slumped lazily in his chair, he said, "Alright, then let's hear the facts that aren't in the file. The sooner the better, I suppose."

Sarutobi didn't seem amused. "If you weren't my best ANBU Captain, I'd have you arrested for your sheer cheek." Kakashi, fully aware of the emptiness behind the comment, just smiled genially beneath his mask, his mismatched eyes curving closed. Sarutobi sighed yet again and started rummaging in one of his drawers, eventually pulling out a pipe and lighting it. When he had inhaled a rather hearty lungful of tobacco smoke, he began to speak quietly.

"As we all know, Sky was obliterated by Konoha forces during the Second War. Most of the nin affiliated with the village were killed or fled into other countries, especially the surrounding nations. Quite a few of the survivors were killed anyway by the Iron samurai when they tried to infiltrate the country through the border. Regardless, despite our best efforts to neutralise the threat of Sky, naturally a few of their more talented shinobi evaded capture."

"Of course," said Itachi quietly. "Survival of the fittest." _Fitting, really,_ Kakashi couldn't help but think, sending a long look towards the ten-year-old. He had a bad feeling about this.

"Indeed," conceded Sarutobi, frowning. "Because of the threat that Sky was to us, the Leaf obviously sent out the best intelligence operators that the village had to offer. This has been a constant for years now, and not just in Sky. As ANBU, you are familiar with infiltration, especially within non-allied nations."

This was true. Every nation had spies of the Leaf, even in allied countries, and for good reason. The more information the better, and those spies had averted more wars than Kakashi would probably ever know about. It was a terrible job in itself as well, requiring an ungodly amount of patience and loyalty for the village, considering that once deployed that shinobi was never going to go back home. Ever. Not even to be buried with family members after death. Once they moved to another country, they lived there — usually as civilians, a travesty in itself — they died there — usually from natural causes, but sometimes from suicide due to being caught — and they decomposed there. It was just how it happened, and it was an honour in its own way.

Kakashi would never be involved in such missions. He could blend in with a crowd and could pass as a civilian when he was undercover, thanks to a meticulous henge and extensive knowledge on sufficiently suppressing his chakra, but there was no way that they would put him off rotation. Kakashi didn't like to brag, but he was one of the best if not _the_ best assassin in the Fire Country. It wasn't exactly a good thing, but it was fact. The idea of Konohagakure pulling him off the rotation to gaggle around as a weak civilian instead of being a single-handed unstoppable force of nature was almost too insane to comprehend.

"Five of our shinobi were deployed there after the destruction. There is one couple that is posing as Sky shinobi for the sake of military intel, another couple that is posing as a wealthy pair involved in politics, and another single kunoichi that deals with criminal posts. They've been collecting information on Sky for years upon years, since before either one of you were born, and as of now we have enough information to determine that they're planning for retribution."

Kakashi wanted to roll his eyes and huff under his breath, because it just figured, but he decided to stare out the Hokage's open window at the downpour instead. The thunder hadn't started yet, but flashes of lightning illuminated Sarutobi's office occasionally, putting a strange shadow on Itachi's young, effeminate features.

Sarutobi continued, "The details of the mission are thus: a man named Kujimo Susumi, a powerful shinobi who currently has control over the military functions of the Land of Sky, must be eliminated. Also, a man named Narita Ichiro, a wealthy daimyō who controls the political regards of the nation, must also be neutralised. Furthermore, they must be killed within a few hours of each other. Both of these men are within close business arrangements with each other, but the two of you will be coming in from different angles during the mission to ensure optimum success."

"How so, Hokage-sama?" asked Itachi, soft and respectful.

"Narita Ichiro has five children, and one of them is around your age, Itachi. It has already been arranged for you to join the undercover civilian family as a newly orphaned nephew, as they are in good terms with the Narita family. You will play the role, you will get close to this family, and you will gather as much intel as possible within a justified boundary. You will be allowed to manoeuvre within your justified age range as much as you deem necessary, so if something unexpected happens you are permitted to respond in the best possible way that ensures success. Of course, you aren't to use the Sharingan or jutsu whatsoever, and only basic taijutsu is allowed in response to stamina when the assassinations must be done. Do you understand the parameters of this mission, Itachi?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama," said Itachi, his face impassive. Kakashi was moderately pleased, for even though there were so many factors that could go wrong with such an assignment, Kakashi knew that he would be relatively comfortable. Well, as comfortable as Itachi could be, pretending to _actually_ be ten-years-old instead of forty like he currently sported on a day-to-day basis. Then again, Itachi _was_ one of the best shinobi that Kakashi had ever worked with, ten or not, so he would make it work regardless of the situation.

Sarutobi turned to Kakashi, and that emotion reappeared for the third time in his eyes. With a stiff and vaguely uncomfortable air to his posture and voice, he said, "Kakashi, you've been assigned seduction missions, correct?"

It was a pointless question, as the Third knew the answer just as well as Kakashi did. It explained the odd expression on Sarutobi's face, for sure, a mixture between...well, he wasn't going to think about that since it wasn't important. Kakashi carefully avoided Itachi's face, even though it was doubtful that the young Uchiha was even marginally interested. It was relatively common for shinobi and kunoichi to be assigned such missions, multiple times in fact. Kakashi wasn't sure if Sarutobi would even allow someone like Itachi to do one, since he was the heir of his clan and god forbid Itachi got someone pregnant. ANBU was a force separated from the regular shinobi ranks and the Police Force, but that didn't mean that Uchiha Fugaku couldn't manipulate things.

Kakashi knew from personal experience. He had almost gotten his Sharingan eye ripped out of his socket by the man when news of Obito's gift had reached the Uchiha Clan. It had taken physical force from Kakashi's sensei and the Third to keep it from happening. He had been lucky that civil war hadn't broken out because of it, honestly, because Minato-sensei had been furious.

Instead of going into the seven seduction missions he had been assigned since becoming a jōnin at thirteen, he said, "Yes." He was thankful that Itachi didn't seem to respond; although Itachi was almost ridiculously loyal to the village (and to his itty-bity brat of a baby brother, but that was beside the point), he most definitely was _not_ naïve about his job. He knew what happened underneath the happy-go-lucky exterior of a Hidden Village, and he wasn't going to question the village on that regard.

"Kujimo Susumi is quite well-known as a law unto himself. In accordance to my information, despite having a wife and children, he regularly takes male consorts, some more beloved than others. From the intel, after being a consort to him and accompanying him in his life, they are killed by Kujimo as a way to insure his secrets or perhaps because he enjoys it. Because you are such a talented shinobi with an unparalleled knowledge of chakra suppression, you should be able to hide your own Sharingan, the scar, and your ANBU tattoo with a henge. This way, you can have eyes on the inside that even my spies can't breach, and you'll be able to gather information that could benefit future generations on technology or jutsu they are developing."

Kakashi didn't really give the idea of being the male consort to a dictator any thought. Instead, he said with a hint of confusion, "I can maintain such a basic henge for a long time with non-existent chakra use, but you said that this could take six months if not longer. Isn't it a bit risky, considering what such a position entails?"

Sarutobi sighed, and Kakashi mentally swore that if it happened again, he'd smack the old man upside the head. Obviously, he wouldn't, but it made him feel better to think it. "Naturally there is risk to the entire operation. Out of everything, you keeping up such a disguise is the least of my concerns. You might be a shinobi notorious for being laid back and almost lazy, but you are also one of the most diligent and talented men I've ever seen within ANBU. I feel as if you are the best person for the job, and the same goes for Itachi."

Kakashi was satisfied, even if there was a tinge of apprehension in his chest. Months upon months of light sleeping to make sure his henge didn't drop, months upon months of scrutinising every movement and word to make sure that he acted his part perfectly, and maybe even months upon months of rather...well, he wasn't going to think about that either. It was going to be taxing. Sarutobi was right though; there was no way in hell that something like a small henge on such small areas was going to ruin the success rate of the mission. He was better than that.

"I accept this mission," said Kakashi, waving his hand half-heartedly in the air. Sarutobi nodded and handed him a pen and the formal mission scroll, in which he grabbed. He wrote down his name and rank in his rather uncharacteristic elegant script, all slanted symbols and perfect precision. Sure, his mission reports were terribly written and often went on tangents about weapons or porn, but at least his script was nice and legible.

Itachi, however, wasn't quite finished. "So since there is no definite time restraint on this assignment, when will we know that the other has collected enough information to warrant the dual assassinations?"

Kakashi paused while rolling up his mission scroll and said, "Uh, yeah, that's a good point. I'm sure you've already thought of a solution, but...oh, yeah, ninken, gotcha." He continued rolling up his scroll as if that entire speech hadn't happened.

"I see," said Itachi. "How many summons do you have that can suppress their chakra ties?"

"Five," Kakashi said proudly, "and I have three more that are almost there. Obviously, I won't be able to use them in this mission because they aren't perfect. However, the five that are ready could be used for intel as well as sharing information between the two of us. They can slip into places we won't be able to, and their hearing is excellent. They're also loyal by contract, and they're pretty damn good familiars too on simple principle."

Sarutobi smiled. "Undercover dogs...I can't say this is uncommon, considering Konoha houses the Inuzuka Clan and many of them are jōnin, but I can say that I'm not averse to this idea. You're absolutely sure that they won't be tied back to you and compromise your position?"

Judging by the smile, Sarutobi was already convinced that allowing Kakashi's ninken to roam around in Sky was a significant advantage, but the last living Hatake entertained him anyway. "Naturally. Konoha isn't the only hidden village or independent clan that uses dogs as shinobi familiars, and if one of them _was_ discovered as a ninken, all they would have to do is dispel before any incriminating evidence was discovered against us. Security would probably get ungodly tight, and people would start getting paranoid, but it would work if I stay undercover _completely._"

"Then how will Itachi know if you are both going to commence with the mission?" asked Sarutobi, the smile being replaced with a light frown.

Itachi dead-panned, "I'm sure I'll hear about any assassination regardless of whether or not it's Kakashi-senpai that informs me, if desperate situations call for desperate measures. If something does not go according to plan and either one of us is forced to resort to premature escalation, I can assure you on both our accounts that the situation will be dealt with considerably."

That miffed Kakashi a bit, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he just shrugged his shoulder and handed Sarutobi the mission scroll with an eye crinkle, because Itachi _was_ correct. They would both find a way to counteract the escalation indeed. He just didn't want a ten-year-old to say so, because he was perfectly capable of saying it himself.

After Sarutobi nodded, Kakashi handed the pen over. Itachi's statement had pretty much reeked of acceptance, so there was no point beating around the bush about it. Itachi gave him a blank stare and then took it, saying lowly, "I also accept this mission." He signed his name and rank, and Kakashi was amused to see that Itachi's kanji, hiragana, and katakana was a scrawled mess, readable but also seemingly uncharacteristic. It was hilarious to see that the pampered perfectionist was the one with the shit writing and _Kakashi_ of all people wrote like an artist.

Maybe it was because his father had forced him to be right-handed, like was customary in society. Being left-handed was considered unnatural, and people looked down on anyone who used their left, shinobi or otherwise, so Itachi wasn't any different. The younger generation tended to be a bit more...relaxed about it, sure, but it was seriously a problem, especially for clan heirs. Perfection was key, and being left-handed was supposedly unnatural, in harshly truthful words. Kakashi thought the old generation were composed of idiots, but whatever; learning how to be ambidextrous wasn't necessarily a bad thing, because all shinobi did that in small, moderate ways. Itachi could write chicken scratch all he wanted with his right hand for all Kakashi cared, because the kid was still a deadly little bitch and it didn't matter otherwise.

Well, maybe not. Itachi was a ridiculously talented shinobi. He probably wrote just as shitty with his left as he did with his right, because Itachi seemed the type that perfected _every_ imperfection to exhaustion and if he wrote shitty with his right, well then, that was that. Itachi probably didn't practise enough with his left to be a calligrapher, because he knew what his family would say about it and being constantly told that being left-handed was an abomination, so...

Who _cared_? His mind was a traitorous thing. Who gave a flying _fuck_ what Itachi wrote like and if Fugaku was the reason behind his terrible penmanship, honestly? Kakashi sure didn't. All Kakashi knew was that he didn't have a lick of affection towards Uchiha Fugaku, regardless. That man could suck Kakashi's white, well-endowed d—

"Very well," Sarutobi said, nodding. "You leave the moment the storm passes, because travelling in a rainstorm of this magnitude wouldn't be advisable. I expect you to modify your appearances and go completely civilian after leaving the Fire Country, and I also expect you to be as inconspicuous as possible until you reach Sky. There, you can go your separate ways. Remember that Sky is a hot climate, and that where you will be stationed is a tropical area, so dress and prepare appropriately. I expect updates on the first day of every month, and I'd like you both to come home without causing an international incident or compromising the identities of the spies. You know what information I expect you to gather, yes?" After a mumbled affirmative, he continued, "Alright, Itachi, you are dismissed. Kakashi, I'd like you to stay a bit longer, please?"

Funny how framing it like a pleading question didn't make him feel any less like he was being ordered around.

Kakashi fought the urge to roll his eyes _again_ and said to Itachi, "Meet at the bridge when the storm passes, alright?"

Itachi replaced his ANBU mask after a small nod, bowed respectfully to the both of them, and then raised his hands in a jutsu. With a small cloud of smoke, he disappeared, and Kakashi turned back towards Sarutobi. He didn't like where this conversation was going either, but his boss was Hokage, there was nothing Kakashi could do to evade it. He could diffuse the uncomfortable situation though.

"Kakashi," he started in a rough voice, but Kakashi raised a hand.

"This isn't my first foray in seduction missions. You sent me on one when I was thirteen, and I came back with a perfect report, not to mention six _other_ perfect reports after that as well. If you are having misgivings about sending me out on this, then you shouldn't even bother. I'm good at my job, and I won't let you down. I won't let this village down for something as mundane as my virtue, because that disappeared when I first killed a man, or when I first accepted a mission like this. I accepted this mission, and that's the end of it."

_If my village wants me to be a whore again, then I shall be the best whore the village could ask for_, he didn't say.

Sarutobi Hiruzen rubbed his eyes tiredly and said, "Fine. You're dismissed. Good luck, Kakashi."

Kakashi replaced his mask, bowed and disappeared himself, thankful that he didn't have to walk through the rain and his mind already on his Icha Icha novel.

* * *

><p>"Nii-san, you're home!"<p>

Itachi held a bundle of persimmons in his hand, a gift from an aunt that was watering her flower box in front of her shop. That wasn't uncommon, getting presents from members of the Uchiha Clan, because he was the heir no matter how young. People treated him differently, and he didn't much care for it.

Perhaps it wouldn't be a bad thing, living it utter anonymity for a while. It was unlikely that the couple he would be living with would really know much about him, and _he_ wasn't going to tell them, so in a way it would be...refreshing. To be someone besides 'The Prodigy Heir of Uchiha' was something he had never allowed himself to ponder, because unless he denounced his title or went missing-nin — or _both_ — he would never be allowed such things.

The five-year-old bundle of pent-up energy and enthusiasm was the only drawback. He had already accepted the mission, but leaving Sasuke and telling his father was a feat all on itself. Sasuke would be devastated, but being young he would find other ways to entertain himself until Itachi returned. As for his father, well, that would be much more complicated.

Looking down at his baby-faced little brother, he said gently, "Let's go outside."

His chubby cheeks scrunched up as he grinned. "Sure, but we can't get wet! Mother says that dinner will be ready soon."

Itachi smiled softly. "Silly Sasuke, we're not going to play in the rain. We'll just sit on the porch and spoil dinner with a treat from Auntie, okay?" He waved the bag of dried fruit enticingly, and Sasuke giggled mischievously, as if they were committing a crime or something equally horrendous. Itachi knew that their mother would be only mildly cross with the gesture, but would understand when his mission came to light. It was only fair that he got to spend time with Sasuke before he left for an extended period of time, and she wouldn't fault him for one misgiving. It was just a simple dinner, after all, not a political party.

After Itachi had taken off his gear, left in just his comfortable underclothes, they sat on the edge of the porch, letting their bare legs swing absently. Occasionally they would stretch out their legs past the awning keeping them dry, Sasuke with more difficulty, and wiggle their toes in the chilly rain. They each took turns digging out one persimmons, Sasuke snickering and Itachi smiling softly at the sight, and munched rather delicately on their candy.

Then Sasuke's expression grew sombre. "Are you leaving on another mission? You got summoned by the Hokage and I was just wondering."

Itachi sighed and ruffled his brother's jet black hair. "Yeah, they've given me a really important mission that will save a lot of lives, Sasuke."

Sasuke grinned. "You're awesome, nii-san!"

Itachi didn't like bursting the kid's bubble, but he couldn't just _leave_ without telling him. "Sasuke, it's going to be a long mission."

Sasuke looked confused. "But your last mission was long too." Yeah, long as in a week, but that was child's play. That had been long on his normal standards, yes, but a week in comparison to six or so _months_ was a bit of a drastic jump.

Still had to break the news gently. He had signed his contract, and there was nothing he could do to get out of it. He didn't _want_ to either — if leaving for six-ish months was necessary to prevent a war, then he would do it happily, because otherwise Sasuke would know the terror and horror that came with war. He was hand-chosen by the Hokage for such an important mission, and it was an honour. The experience was a definite plus, but keeping Sasuke safe was the major relief. Clan be damned, the reason he continued to be the shinobi he was because of Sasuke, and perhaps they would have a better life free of war and death. Maybe Sasuke could grow up _normal_, instead of like Itachi. That made all the difference in the world.

That was the future though; this was the present, and he couldn't be overly harsh with his little brother. "Sasuke, my last mission was for a week. This one is significantly longer." Sasuke tugged on his sleeve, giving him a look of curiosity, and Itachi said in a cautious, placative tone, "I'm going to be gone for a long time, not weeks but months. I might even miss your birthday."

Sasuke jerked in shock. "But nii-san, my birthday is...is..." He counted on his tiny, stubby fingers. "My birthday is in _nine months_! You can't be gone _that_ long, and you can't miss my birthday because then I'll miss _your_ birthday! This isn't _fair_, nii-san!"

Something painful clenched in his chest, but he didn't outwardly acknowledge it. "It won't be forever, Sasuke, and it's an important mission. The Hokage himself assigned me, and I can't refuse even if I wanted to." Better for Sasuke to not know that Itachi had signed it himself, because misplaced anger was better than thinking his brother had willingly left him for a long time. Sasuke wouldn't understand, because he was young and innocent of the under-dealings of the village. Sasuke wouldn't see the Hokage anyway, and probably wouldn't meet the man until he graduated the Academy, whenever that would be. "Besides," Itachi added, "I could be home in only a few months, and so you should just be happy that I'm going on a mission to help people."

Sasuke burst into tears and tackled Itachi in a hug. The half-empty bag of dried fruit dropped to the grass below their feet, but that was probably a good thing. Sasuke usually didn't like sweet things unless Itachi was behind it, and their Father didn't like his sons even _breathing_ next to them due to their nutritional content (or lack thereof). Itachi, who _did_ like sweets, would probably end up eating the entire bag by himself, and that was inadvisable.

"I'll miss you so much, nii-san!" Sasuke sobbed loudly, and Itachi could hear his mother walking towards them at a slow, but insistent pace. Mikoto, despite now being a dutiful housewife, was still a jōnin, and she had probably overheard the entire conversation since Itachi had walked in the door. That probably was a good thing, so they didn't get in too much trouble for the persimmons, but Itachi couldn't help but feel a small twinge of annoyance that he couldn't have a moment with his brother alone unless they all but fled the compound.

"I'll miss you too, Sasuke," he said softly, burying his nose in Sasuke's jet black mop. He smelt like dewy grass and fresh parchment, with a tint of his supposedly unscented shampoo, and this was so uniquely Sasuke that he just breathed. He didn't know when he'd be able to just cherish the feel of his little brother in his arms — he was a shinobi, and there was always the chance that he would _never_ get to see his brother again. He had to just hold the moment for as long as possible, because he could never come home.

He didn't want to die, and he didn't ever want to be separated from his brother, but he had to be a shinobi of the Leaf _for_ Sasuke too, to keep him safe no matter what.

It was a double-edged sword, but he wouldn't complain.

He pulled away with great reluctance when his mother finally stopped at the shōji door, watching them silently with a small frown on her face. He glanced at her, catching her curious and slightly worried gaze, and then said, "Come, Sasuke. It's time for dinner, yes?"

Sasuke, still sniffling, pulled away from Itachi's shirt, wiping his eyes roughly. Mikoto tore her eyes away from Itachi's and knelt down, running her hands through Sasuke's short hair in a way that Itachi had never been shown. "Your brother's right. Dinner's ready, and your father should be home soon. Let's all get cleaned up and meet at the table in five minutes, okay?"

"Okay, Mother," Sasuke said, and Itachi stood up, heading toward the back-end of the house. Sasuke followed him from a distance, but eventually turned into the bathroom while Itachi made way to his room. He dumped his handful of gear on his bed, not really in the mood to put it all away since he'd have to get it out again, and sat at the end of his bed, burying his fingers in his hair. It was getting long, and his mother kept lightly imploring him to cut it. Maybe he should cut it, really, because he was going undercover and he wouldn't have shinobi clothing to prove that he wasn't a girl. People tended to mistake him for one outside of the village, from the hair to his eyelashes and big eyes, but he couldn't bring himself to chop it all off for the sake of masculinity. He was _ten_, and if he could do his job with perfect precision regardless of his ponytail, then it didn't matter. He liked it — liked the length, liked the way it flashed while he was spinning in the air away from kunai, liked the way people always underestimated him because they thought him a fragile china doll instead of a deadly shinobi. Maybe he'd keep the hair, because it did have the added bonus of making him look like said fragile china doll. Underestimation was a shinobi's greatest asset during infiltration missions, and the more physically unimposing the better.

Something would have to be done about his body though. He would have clothes on, but it was still a tropical area. Acting like a civilian ten-year-old would be difficult when he was physically fit in a way that civilian children just _weren't_. He wouldn't be able to go swimming on the beach or even wear shorts and a light top without drawing attention to the fact that he was built like a shinobi, regardless of his age.

It took...two days to reach the outer peninsula of Fire using chakra, but when they hit Tea, they would both be undercover. He had to stay strong and keep his cardio up, but he didn't have to be inhuman either. He was going to lose so much definition on the mission, whether he wanted to or not. Perhaps he could talk the 'civilian' shinobis that would be watching him to let him join a dojo. If they even had those there.

Then again, perhaps not. He didn't want to draw attention to himself, and practising _badly_ was even worse than not practising. If he did do martial arts properly, he'd probably get spotted by Sky shinobi and would end up being thrown into their training. The last thing he needed was to be...well, maybe not. It wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing to join whatever Sky's version of the Academy was, to become a mock Sky shinobi, but he didn't want to do something that would be considered treason either. Besides, political jargon between children was always the fastest way to hear truths. Children tended to talk more freely about their parents and things they overheard between friends, and the children of the Narita man would complain about their father and his business dealings freely with another child of the same upbringing.

Itachi stood up and began walking towards the kitchen. The worst part about undercover missions was staying undercover, in his opinion. He had done undercover missions before, but always as similar characters: penniless children, orphaned children... Actually pretending to be another person for an extended period of time was something he hadn't tackled before. He knew he could do it, because he had been successful in similar missions and he _was_ a perfectionist, but it just seemed daunting. He knew that the character he was playing was a child from the Land of the Moon who had been recently orphaned due to a house fire. His fake parents were aristocrats, sort of like the Uchiha themselves, so he could channel some of the self-entitled superiority that the Uchiha had in spades. He could pretend to be a stuck-up brat who complained about everything that didn't go his way, yes, but still...he _was_ ten. Ten-year-olds had ways of acting, ways that Itachi had never been allowed to acknowledge before. Ten-year-olds giggled and made up silly languages and played ball and ate candy all the time. Itachi could do it, but he'd be miserable.

_Well, if the mission had been easy, then genin would do it_, Itachi thought glumly, entering the kitchen and heading to the sink. His mother was moving the dinner plates into the dining room, so Itachi quickly washed his hands and went to help her. He could feel his father in the other room with Sasuke, so he would say something when Itachi walked through the door, and Itachi grabbed as many plates as he could carry to compensate. He balanced them as only a shinobi could, smiling lightly when Sasuke giggled at his predicament. He was balancing plates on his arms, hands, shoulders, and head after all, so perhaps that was warranted.

"Itachi, put those down and take a seat," said Fugaku, sounding exasperated, but there was a slight hint of amusement. His father wasn't all bad, no, and it wasn't right for him to assume such, but it was difficult. His father was stern, and spent every moment of his life working on ways to advance the power of Uchiha. He didn't spend enough time being a father, and he spent too much time working and scheming, which wasn't exactly the best combination.

He was a good man, a one-track-minded leader, and a terrible father.

When Kakashi had been given the Sharingan by Itachi's uncle, Itachi had been four. It was one of his first memories, and it wasn't a very good one either. Sometimes, when Itachi was lying in bed trying to forget the horrible things he had done for the village, he could remember his father grasping Kakashi by the hair and trying to gouge out the gift with his fingertips. There had been blood, and there had been screaming, and there had been jutsu and threats, and not _once_ had Kakashi attempted to defend himself. Itachi could still remember how completely boneless Kakashi had been, just being tugged around like he had been a toy that children were fighting over. Itachi had been four, watching that with wide eyes and colourless cheeks, wondering why the village prodigy wouldn't at least try to not manhandled like a bag of bones.

Itachi figured his father should've been arrested for that, but considering the already towering animosity between the Third, Danzō, the Council, and Fugaku, it was probably better that he hadn't been charged with anything. Fugaku, as far as Itachi knew, still despised "_the White Fang's bastard child_" as he was still aptly named. Kakashi also wasn't allowed on the Uchiha compound, nor were any of the Uchiha permitted to acknowledge his existence, let alone train him on how to use it properly. The fact that Kakashi was known as _Sharingan no Kakashi_ within the Bingo Book at nineteen was momentous, really, something Itachi could only barely comprehend. All of Itachi's life, he had been constantly shoved full of information about the honour of the clan and all the Uchiha secrets. He had known how to use the Sharingan to utmost performance through theory before he had even gained use of it himself at eight-years-old. He had known what to expect, and how to use it, even before Sasuke had been born.

Kakashi had developed infamy with the Sharingan based on his own hard work and dedication. He had flown blind, and had _still_ mastered it. Well, as much as one without the natural affinity of the kekkai genkai _could_, anyway. He hadn't had a lick of help from natural Sharingan users, like Itachi had, so being impressed by Hatake Kakashi was just something he _felt_ while in his presence. Of course, he'd never _tell_ anyone that, especially his father, but he still _felt_ it.

"A mission?" asked Fugaku, his voice far away because of Itachi's thoughtful contemplation. "And a long one assigned by the Hokage himself? Care to tell me about it, Itachi?"

Speaking of things to not tell his father...

"It's classified." A flash of something bitter crept into Fugaku's eyes, but he didn't respond to it. Fugaku would find out eventually that his partner was Hatake Kakashi, but only after Itachi was long gone and away from Fugaku's meddling schemes. Until then, he'd keep _that_ little tidbit of information to himself, to save everyone a bit of argument. He continued in a blank tone, "However, I can tell you that it's the most important mission that I've ever undertaken by far, and will greatly advance my rank when I complete it."

An almost invisible smirk popped up on Fugaku's thin lips. "That's my boy. You'll be Captain soon, no doubt about it. You're doing this clan proud, Itachi."

"Yes, Father," he replied back mechanically.

His mother, on the other hand, had different concerns. "Perhaps we should talk about this later, when Sasuke is in bed."

Sasuke opened his mouth to complain hotly, but Itachi just waved his hand to silence him. Ignoring his brother's pout, he said, "Mother is right. I leave when the storm passes, so let us eat and converse about different things."

They all dug in. Well, Sasuke dug in, taking a bit of everything, but Itachi got only as much as he needed to function properly. He didn't react to the steak at all, despite his disgust of the food, and ate until he was satisfied. They spoke of lighthearted things, mostly for Sasuke's benefit, and smiled when the five-year-old laughed about playing ball with his friends. Shisui was briefly mentioned by Mikoto, who volunteered the information that he had come back from his ANBU mission in Wave, and had brought back a gift for his betrothed.

"Will you bring _me_ back a present, nii-san?" asked Sasuke excitedly. When Itachi nodded and ruffled his hair, Sasuke giggled with glee. He probably wouldn't buy anything in Sky for Sasuke, but he didn't have to know that. A present was a present, and there was always the slim chance that he _would_ be able to find time during his mad escape from the country to buy a trinket of some sort.

Fugaku was the first to leave, claiming paperwork that needed to be done, so Itachi took the time with his father away to help his mother in the kitchen. He quite liked housework, really, especially washing dishes. It was methodical, and it gave him time to absently think. It was a mundane chore, sure, but he liked getting his hands in the warm, soapy water, making things shiny and clean while staring out the window and letting his mind wander. He didn't often get to help his mother, or even really spend time with her, so he took his time as they worked in a comfortable silence. Occasionally, they would speak about trivial things, mostly pertaining to Sasuke, and again something in his chest clenched when she fully smiled. He didn't get to see his mother smile very often, not one of those big ones that lit up her eyes, because she didn't smile as much any more. Perhaps that was because she was lonely, since her best friend Uzumaki Kushina had died, but it was probably because being a housewife meant that she was stuck at home doing nothing.

His mother was a kunoichi, and she had loved her job immensely when she had been active duty. Sometimes, Itachi wondered if she resented him because he had been the reason for her early retirement.

He eventually left after the job was done, heading back to his room. He packed everything he would need in his journey through Fire, namely a few changes of clothes and spare bandages. He knew that he would have to go buy more suitable clothing, things that an aristocrat from Moon would wear, while on the journey to Sky. He packed a few kunai and shuriken, even though he would have to lose them after leaving Fire, and added a few medical supplies. The southern borders of Fire were thick rainforests, and the last thing he needed was to be unprepared should something terrible happen.

He kept his ANBU equipment and hitai-ate out. He would have to ditch it before leaving the village, but he didn't need his father knowing about his mission. The less he knew the better.

After he had showered and dressed, he picked out a book and read until the darkness forced him to light a lamp. Later, when Sasuke had already hugged him good-night and good-bye, his father's chakra flared out, summoning him. He pushed himself up with a small sigh, making his way past Sasuke's room and eventually into their in-house dojo. He sat down on the tatami mat in front of his father, staring impassively into his father's blood red eyes, and breathed, running over the lies and half-truths that he would tell instead of the whole-truth-and-nothing-but. Only fools told the whole-truth-and-nothing-but, and he was no fool. He hated to repeat himself, even internally, but the less Uchiha Fugaku knew about the mission — and his mission partner — the better. He didn't need any interference.

The rain continued to pour outside.

"Tell me about this mission, Itachi," his father stated, voice stern and full of no-nonsense. His tomoe spiralled within the Sharingan, ready to catch any and all lies, and perhaps Itachi should've been hurt that his own flesh and blood father didn't even trust him to not tell the truth. Then again, Itachi _was_ planning on lying, but at least he had good reason.

So Itachi mixed lies with truth. "I was assigned a mission that requires a great amount of stealth and patience. I am being assigned to watch over a very accomplished shinobi in—" _First lie._ "—Iwagakure who is not affiliated with the Tsuchikage, and has a personal vendetta." _Truth-and-nothing-but_. "It is infiltration at its finest, as the Hokage is worried that they are planning an attack to make up for their casualties in the Third War." _A half-lie._ "It is a partnered mission, through ANBU, but I will not know who my partner is because of the anonymity." _Another lie, but Father doesn't need to know that this is undercover work, not just information gathering through __infiltration._ "I am to gather intel and then when we have discovered the culprits of the attack and assassinate them in a way that does not tie the deed back to Konoha." _Half-truth again, and thanks to a twisted sort of shinobi pride, no Sky shinobi _or_ Stone shinobi would willingly admit to being infiltrated. It's a matter of pride and national security._

Fugaku pondered his words, the Sharingan swirling, and then he nodded with the same almost invisible smirk from before. "Well done, Itachi. Soon you'll be a Captain of ANBU, and you'll be one of the Hokage's right hand men. We'll have Uchiha watching every move that man makes, and it's all thanks to our hard work. You will make a fine Hokage yourself one day, my son." He sounded so smug and happy with that, but Itachi didn't see why. He didn't want to be Hokage, never as in _never_. He would be content with just being the Clan Head one day, revolutionising the way that the clan functioned.

In a way, he didn't really think anything would come of the never-ending Senju verses Uchiha feud that had been raging for decades upon decades, but his father wouldn't make a move until Itachi was at least Captain. It was all hypothetical, and there had been whispers amongst the Uchiha about a revolution due to the mistreatment of their clan after the Kyūbi attack, but it was rumours. If it happened, then Itachi would find a way to smother it, if only for Sasuke's sake.

The last thing the village needed was civil war, but he'd think about that if it ever became less rumour and more reality.

"Thank you, Father," he said mechanically, the tone of voice normal for him during these father-to-son conversations. He didn't really have anything else to say, so he just waited for his father's dismissal. When he got it, he stood up and bowed respectfully before heading out, making his way back towards the living quarters. It had gone smoother than he had hoped for, and he would be thankfully out of the village when Fugaku received word that Kakashi was his partner. He luckily wouldn't be there for _that_ inevitable explosion due to his father's irrational dislike of the last living Hatake.

He paused by his door, his left hand reaching to open his door, but then turned on his heel, heading back to Sasuke's room. His little brother was sleeping, his mouth wide open and his little arms flung out, taking up as much space as possible. Itachi sat down at the foot of Sasuke's bed, watching his brother sleep so peacefully and without nightmares, and eventually fell into a light sleep himself, holding his brother's small hand in his larger one as a source of grounding.

When his sharp ears heard the rain stop, he forced himself to wake up. He pressed a soft kiss to his brother's forehead, took off his necklace, and clasped it around his brother's little neck. Itachi wouldn't be able to wear it while undercover, and he didn't know when he'd see his brother again, so a temporary parting gift was in order. Sasuke would take care of it while he was gone, and it would give him something to remember him by when he was gone.

He left Sasuke to his dreams, dressed in his uniform, and slipped silently into the night towards the meeting point.


	3. Two: The Sombre Lives of Black and Grey

Two  
>The Sombre Lives of Black and Grey<p>

-October-

Itachi hadn't run as hard before in his entire life.

He was in ANBU so he was used to moving quickly and efficiently, but _this_ was on a whole different scale. They were practically flying from branch to branch, their sandal-clad feet barely touching the bark before flying off again. He was rather impressed with himself for keeping up, to be quite honest with himself, but the amount of chakra he was burning to go at such an enhanced speed was immense despite the soldier pill. He would end up running out of steam, and as much as he appreciated that Kakashi was not treating him like a child (like some of the other ANBU operatives did), he _was_ only ten and he wouldn't be able to keep it up much longer.

He refused to give up though, and he trudged on, hair flying wildly behind him as they continued the breakneck pace through the dense rainforests of southern Fire. Perhaps it was a good thing that they were moving so fast, because the bugs couldn't get a good grip on their sweaty, cloaked bodies. The rainforest was a dangerous place, and while they were still travelling slightly off the well-worn path as to not draw eyes, there was still the fact that one sting could mean a trip to the nearest hospital.

They ran like this for almost two days, only taking a few hours to sleep and two small breaks to replenish their energy through ration bars. When he woke up from his three hour sleep after his previous three hours on guard duty, he popped a soldier pill, trying not to let Kakashi see. He figured that Kakashi was well aware of it, but he still didn't want to seem weak and he knew that they'd be running just as hard. He was already exhausted, so it was the only option he had except asking Kakashi to slow down, something Itachi _refused_ to do.

Then, mercifully, Kakashi slowed down as the second day was turning to dusk. Itachi's nose could distantly detect the usual smells of civilisation, more noticeably the pleasant scent of ramen mixed with a much less pleasant aroma of oxen manure. Itachi took the moment to rest without looking like he was doing just that and asked a bit breathlessly, "Kakunodate?" It was the first thing spoken since leaving the gates of Konohagakure, and his throat felt raw from the physical exercise and chakra depletion.

"Yes," Kakashi said, and Itachi felt a bit of relief to hear a faint note of exhaustion in the nineteen-year-old's voice as well. Itachi reached up to palm his bangs out of his face as Kakashi stated, "We'll stay here for a few hours and purchase supplies that we'll need for the trip. I figure I don't have to tell you to use a henge, and to avoid confrontation." Itachi nodded once, and Kakashi continued, "Good. Let's get rid of our current equipment now, before entering the village."

They proceeded to do just that, listening diligently for any passers-by that wandered across the path hidden by trees. Itachi methodically took off his cloak and shinobi-standard sandals (which he quickly replaced with jika-tabi boots before an insect could sting him), and eventually was left with his mundane clothing that could pass as civilian. Kakashi followed suit, piling all of his unwanted items into the same pile as Itachi, and they went to bury their weapons in the soft dirt. Of course, they kept one basic kunai with them, because it wasn't uncommon for civilians to have them and no shinobi ever willingly went unarmed, and they shoved the metal weapon in a respective boot. They made sure all of the money they had for this leg was packed away in pockets and their henges were perfect before Itachi cautiously used a small katon jutsu to light the pile of clothing on fire, burning away the evidence. They kicked dirt on the scorched earth and then broke through the trees to continue their journey at a civilian walk.

They passed few travellers on the way to the village of Kakunodate, a bustling settlement about fifteen miles from the Fire and Tea border. When they finally reached the gates, putting in two generic names in the logbooks, they immediately made way for the food stalls. Itachi was thankful, since he needed something in his stomach to replenish his energy, and after a few moments of silent pointing, they decided on a small yatai stall set up in the street. They both sat down and chatted about idle things as they waited for their kushiyaki, Kakashi choosing chicken and Itachi going for tofu.

They ate as if they had all the time in the world, nibbling on their food and sipping their tea, before they slipped away into the crowds of the afternoon market. Together, still chatting amiably about trivial things that normal civilians would gossip about, they slipped in and out of stores, buying simple things to aid them along their journey. Since they were to sail to the Land of Moon before heading to Sky — so Itachi could get more Moon-appropriate clothing and accessories while also legitimately appearing to come from that country, cementing his cover a tiny bit more — they were in for a long and boring boat ride. They had a mission allowance, but they wouldn't receive the majority of it until they got to Minatochō. They had to keep it relatively simple and mundane until then as to not attract attention by the wrong sort, and having a lot of money on them was foolish when the possibility of being mugged was so high.

After purchasing a few changes of civilian clothing and provisions, they meandered about like civilians until Kakashi began making the walk towards the other side of the village they had entered from. They logged their exit with the bored-looking guards and then began the long journey to their last destination on the continent.

The conversation died out about half a mile outside Kakunodate, but it was a comfortable silence, if not a bit tense. Then, after they passed the border of Fire into Tea, Kakashi finally struck up a conversation that wasn't about fishing or whether the fictional Ayame had cheated on her husband. "Do you know much about Sky or Moon, except what you have learnt in the Academy?"

Itachi blinked. "Not much," he admitted quietly. "I know the basics about Sky, how they are technologically advanced in comparison to the Hidden Villages and tried to make a statement during the Second War about cementing their power as a shinobi-standard. Moon is a better guess, since there is an alliance between Fire and Moon and they use our shinobi for high-scale jobs, but even then most of it is speculation on my part."

"That doesn't exactly surprise me," replied Kakashi. The older nin's henged brown hair flew in his eyes and he pushed them away absently, which helped until the next gust of air put them right back in his eyes again. Kakashi let out a small sigh of exasperation before he glanced up and down the path, nodding when he seen no passers-by. With a fast combination of hand seals — _dog, boar, ram_ — a new henge altered his appearance a bit more than before, and with shorter brown hair to fix the problem. "I should probably fill you in on some things you will need to know about Moon. There is a shaky alliance between Moon and Sky, but even so, most people in Moon aren't completely aware of Sky's government and way of life. Even if you are a bit ignorant of Sky, it won't hinder your cover very much because it's considered relatively normal."

Itachi nodded once. They were silent for about ten minutes, as a group of travellers passed them on the trail towards the southern sea ports, but when they had left the general area, Kakashi continued. "Moon is a wealthy country. You're playing the part as the son of a nobleman, so there is proper etiquette for giving the illusion of being home-bred in Moon. Luckily, since you were raised in a situation of prominence, you already have most of the aristocrat-based etiquette, but there are a few differences between being the heir proper of Uchiha and being the son of a civilian dignitary."

Itachi felt the need to point out, "I know this, and you're talking in circles."

Kakashi glanced at him with a smirk on his lips, and Itachi wondered if Kakashi had mixed his own features with his henge. Itachi had never seen his face, and not many people had, so it wasn't unusual to be curious. The henge that Kakashi had adopted was boring and forgetful, like Itachi's was, because drawing attention to one's self while in bandit-rich country was dangerous. They both looked like mundane civilians with no money or prospects, as to not rouse attention, but Itachi couldn't help but wonder if perhaps Kakashi himself was rather boring to look at as well. Then Itachi rethought that distractedly — the Hokage had assigned him a seduction mission, and while it was relatively common for unattractive people to be attractive through confidence and mannerisms, he doubted that Kakashi's target would go for anything other than lovelies. Itachi then wondered if he would have to use a full henge if he really _was_ boring looking or if all of the girls in the village were squealing for good reason.

"Very well, brat," said Kakashi dully, but the amusement in his single brown eye flickered through anyway. "In Moon, there is a different type of noble personality. Moon has a very painful gap between the rich and the poor, but there is relatively no difference between the way they act. As a Moon aristocrat, you have to be quite kind and forgiving, but you also have to be very showy with how you present yourself. Money is of no consequence there, so buying even the most useless trinkets is a way to show wealth within the country. Frivolous spending is common between wealthy people in Moon, and so you will have to act accordingly. A lot of time and effort goes into looking presentable in the finest clothing and being perfectly genial within public appearances. Moon is full of kind people that show their money as if it is a status symbol, which is not much different than rich civilians except Moon civilians actually act like human beings."

"I see," said Itachi, not surprised. Moon was a friendly country, and Itachi wasn't sure if it was the best thing to advertise. If he had been the leader of a country, he would've taken advantage of it immediately. Moon was ridiculously wealthy because of its casinos and beach front, and monopolising that would be a brilliant move on anyone's part. He wondered vaguely why anyone hadn't tried it before but decided not to go there.

Someone probably had anyway, and kept it hushed due to national pride.

"You'll need to be friendly, and just the right amount of pompous. You can't be too generous with any money you'll have unless it benefits you greatly. For the most part, being a conniving little sneak isn't in any Moon aristocrat's agenda, so don't be like the Uchiha in that regard." Itachi fought the urge to roll his eyes, not because it was a stereotypical remark on Kakashi's part (which it was) but because it was true and Itachi knew it.

"We won't stay long in Moon, just until the next boat leaves to Sky, but I will take you to do reconnaissance if we have the time," continued Kakashi, glancing at him. His left eye was closed to hide the Sharingan, even if Itachi couldn't see it through the henge, but the young nin could feel the weight of his single-eyed gaze regardless.

"Sounds like a reasonable course of action," stated Itachi in the affirmative, and then spared another glance at Kakashi's boring appearance. With a brief hesitation, he asked, "What about you? How do you think you'll proceed with your end of the mission?"

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "It's not hard to get picked up by a brothel, kid," he said, and perhaps it was a bit condescending but Itachi was more interested with the amusement in Kakashi's tone. "I'll just walk to the front door of the richest establishment and smile pretty for the handlers."

Itachi frowned. "Seems too easy."

"Yeah," admitted Kakashi. "That's an easy way of putting it. No use going into details about it though — you'll never have to complete such a mission because your spunk is worth fifty times its weight in gold, so there's no need. If you ever _do_ have to fuck someone for your village, come to me and I'll give you some pointers, but for now it's irrelevant. All-in-all, I'll walk up to the front door of the richest brothel in Hattoji or Mima City and smile pretty for the rich perverts in charge. Variations include ridiculously revealing outfit number one, ridiculously revealing outfit number two, or going starkers. The latter has the most merit but two seems like a fair bet."

Itachi, visibly amused, said, "Any idea what two looks like yet?"

"Absolutely no idea," Kakashi stated, grinning at him with the henge. "That's the beauty of it. Nevertheless, I'm happy your poor, innocent eyes won't have to set sights on my scantly clad, lanky body."

"My eyes are as innocent as your hidden one," Itachi mentioned idly, even though he knew Kakashi was joking since they both wielded the Sharingan. Before Kakashi could comment, he continued, "I know this is a pointless question but I feel inclined to ask. Will you be able to sustain a henge for as long as you need to? I know that Hokage-sama wouldn't send you on this mission if he believed you could not do it, but extended chakra usage that carries even into sleep is bound to be detrimental to your health and stability. I know I would be worried if I had to sustain it for a long period of time in your situation."

Kakashi shrugged. "Well, if you must know, I'm keeping it pretty simple. Tattoo, eye, scars, and maybe a bit of my muscle definition if I can't manage to lose the extent of it on the way to Sky. I figure that everyone who sees my real face either won't remember or I'll be able to kill them when we book it home."

"So you _are_ going to show your real face then?" asked Itachi.

Kakashi spared a glance at Itachi and said with no hint of amusement, "No way kid, no fishing. Unless you end up dead, which is astronomically improbable in your case considering how good you are, I will have to suffer seeing you for the rest of my life. Besides, I already have enough fangirls that love my _mysterious nature_, and the last thing I need is a new fanboy with inside intel."

"I'm ten," Itachi dead-panned. What he _didn't_ say was '_thank you for the compliment on your confidence in me, Hatake-sama_' because Kakashi would probably kick him into the rainforest. Itachi wasn't outwardly maudlin anyway, and much preferred letting his actions speak for his deeds.

Itachi _was_ ten though. The nerve of him to accentuate that Itachi would squeal like a girl at how pretty or mysterious Kakashi was was absolutely irritating. He was probably boring-looking anyway, and not that Itachi really cared regardless. He wasn't allowed to care, because he was ten and an Uchiha. He would continue to be the shinobi his village and clan wanted him to be, he would get engaged to a woman of suitable influence from Uchiha or another clan when he was thirteen, and he would be married to that woman after many years of courtship at seventeen. It was just how things were done, and since he was the heir he most _definitely_ wouldn't have a choice.

It wasn't really that big of a deal to him anyway. Marrying a girl to continue the lineage wasn't any different than killing an enemy shinobi for the sake of safety in Konoha. He would rather get married, to tell the complete and honest truth, because Itachi had never been fond of taking human life and he hadn't gotten used to it yet.

He didn't think he ever would.

"I don't care if you're ten or fifty, Princess, the answer is no," Kakashi said.

What was even _up_ with Hatake anyway? Itachi knew that Kakashi was emotionless and cold when in ANBU, because being a nut while being inconspicuous and sneaking was not beneficial to the success of the mission. Plus the atrocities that were committed while under ANBU employment was enough to douse out any fiery personalities.

Furthermore, Hatake Kakashi wasn't known for formalities but he sure as hell wasn't known for joking around and teasing, which was what the idiot was doing at the moment. It couldn't have been for passers-by, because they were talking about missions and henge jutsu and if that wasn't telling then nothing was. It might have been just to give the illusion of camaraderie between them just in case someone from afar was watching, but even then it was a bit weird. Itachi wasn't giving any indication that they were closer than simple mission partners, and to be frank Kakashi's body language wasn't conclusive on that either.

And Itachi was _not_ a princess.

Fighting the urge to pout like a child, because he was Uchiha and therefore better than that, he said slowly, "You are a strange human being."

Kakashi let out a breath that might've been a laugh. "Says the girl with the mind of a forty-year-old."

Itachi glared. "I am _not_ a girl."

"You look like a girl to me," teased Kakashi, and Itachi seen his dull brown eyes flicker. It took another minute or so for Itachi to hear it — he was man enough to admit that his hearing and sense of smell wasn't even _half_ of what Kakashi's was — and he suddenly rethought the idea of appearing to be close through sight alone. It was for damn sure that Kakashi had gone on such a tangent because of their incoming company, and Itachi felt obliged to reprocriate.

It _was_ annoying how much better Kakashi was than him with sensing danger, but that would come with experience. He would never be as sound- or scent-sensitive as Kakashi, but he believed that he would surpass him in other ways. Kakashi mastering the Sharingan or not, Itachi's eyes would win over sense of smell and sound any day.

They continued on chatting amiably, not changing the subject but keeping it deliberately lighthearted. "Are you going to chop all that pretty hair off then, Princess?"

"You're a jerk," he said, something he had heard a few children in his age group say. "Lots of people have long hair, including boys, and besides, you're just jealous 'cause I'm prettier than you." They continued on the road to Gyoson, listening to the sounds of a struggle without giving off the indication that they were aware of it. From their point on the road, Itachi was willing to bet that it was bandits in the midst of the southern peninsula of Fire.

The last thing they needed was bandits, but Itachi wasn't concerned. Judging by the sounds, they were already quite busy with the person they had judged to be worthy of their time instead of just potential robbery material.

Itachi, as he pretended to act his age without drawing attention to himself, chanced a look at his mission partner. He hadn't really allowed himself to think of seduction missions before, because Kakashi was absolutely right: Itachi would never have to be assigned such a mission. He was Uchiha, and Uchiha didn't go and have careless sex with strangers for a mission. No major clans allowed their children to do such things, because lineage was so important.

But Kakashi was Hatake, and while Hatake was off-branched from Senju, Hatake wasn't exactly a bloodline that had to be painstakingly sheltered by elders. In fact, the man was everywhere in the genetic pool — Senju blood via his paternal grandmother, Hatake blood via his paternal grandfather, and it was even rumoured that he had a bit of Sarutobi in him because of an affair that produced his mother. Of course, that was completely irrelevant because people talked rubbish as a general rule, especially within the circles of middle-aged mothers in Konohagakure, but it was still something. There was no telling where his maternal grandparents had come from, so a bastard child bred by Senju and the civilian Hatake wasn't enough to require interference by the Council like the Uchiha or Hyūga.

As they walked closer to where the sounds of violence came from, Itachi thought about Kakashi and his mission. There was a person being violated against their will by two, maybe three men and that was wrong. However, what did that even say about Kakashi himself? Itachi had no doubt in his mind that Kakashi would do anything for the village, but was Kakashi prostituting himself, since obviously Kakashi would get paid by Konoha as well as Sky itself? Or was it rape at its finest, since Kakashi didn't have a choice and had all but been forced into the position?

Kakashi was going into something that Itachi couldn't comprehend, and that was something Itachi was uncomfortable thinking about. Kakashi and Itachi both were murderers, thieves, liars, torturers, and a thousand other less terrible things, but _this_ was different. He wasn't even sure why, really, and maybe that was because he _was_ ten and didn't have the personal experience on what sex was in real life.

He couldn't imagine being a prostitute for the village. After so long of being told that sex was sacred, to only be shared with a wife, he was utterly abhorrent of the idea. He would do anything for his village, but that would've been the hardest thing. Well, besides killing children, but that was without saying.

The idea that Kakashi had been sent on one before was not surprising. Itachi wouldn't have even really been surprised if he had been sent on more than that. However, Itachi wasn't sure if he felt sorry for Kakashi, for having to do such things, or if he felt disgusted by the knowledge. Did Kakashi _like_ doing it? After all, it wasn't like Kakashi could _fake_ enjoying the sex like a woman could.

Or maybe that was the _point_ of brothels: to force it. Except that couldn't have been true though, because not everyone did come to completion with such methods.

Itachi almost wished that he could just ask Kakashi about it, but figured that it would've been much too personal. Itachi was young but he knew boundaries, and he wasn't going to delve into something that perhaps Itachi should best leave unexplored. He would never have to do such missions, something he was absurdly grateful for, and while he knew that while seduction missions were a fundamental method for shinobi and kunoichi lifestyle, there was no use debating it. It was much more likely that some people hated it, some people loved it, and some people didn't give it two seconds of thought since it was just another mission.

Kakashi was probably one of the latter anyway.

They edged closer to where a man or woman was being violated, and came into sight of a look-out. He was a well-built man, someone that would have probably gotten the best of Kakashi if said Hatake hadn't been the greatest assassin in the world at the moment. Itachi activated his Sharingan under his henge, taking in the man's chakra network while scanning in the dense network of trees and greenery for any other dangers. There wasn't really anything to note except that there were four figures in total, including their look-out, all of them with meagre amounts of chakra that spoke of civilian nature. Itachi was relatively certain by scanning the area that the person being raped by the thugs was a woman, due to a smaller amount of natural chakra, but he wasn't positive.

They continued together, Kakashi thankfully switching the subject into something fabricated. The last thing Itachi needed was to be likened to a girl when a woman was being raped, although it wouldn't have made a difference in the end. If they wanted to see a girl when staring at him, they were going to see a girl, and the sexual organs that Itachi carried would not be a deterrent.

Itachi wasn't sure what Kakashi would do if they _did_ make an advance. They weren't allowed to break their cover after leaving Fire under any circumstances, as ordered by the Hokage, and throwing out taijutsu and god knew what else at a few common thugs wouldn't be good for said cover. If Kakashi did make a move, they would have to kill all of the men _and_ the woman just to keep it under wraps.

After all, there was no telling where these people had come from, including the victim, or what connections they might have outside. Henge or not, it was still too dangerous to assume otherwise.

"Hey there, travellers," called out the man when they approached. Itachi's Sharingan (and most likely Kakashi's as well) registered one of the figures leaving the other with the victim, and soon enough another well-built man joined his look-out. Unlike his companion though, the second man had blood on his shirt, not enough to speak of murder or mutilation but enough that Itachi knew these men weren't above being violent to get what they wanted.

"'ello chaps," replied Kakashi, adopting a small twinge of accent. Maybe from Fang or Waterfalls, Itachi reckoned, but he wasn't going to call him out on it. He opted to stay quiet instead, lips twitching in a small, childish smile. He knew the dialect, so he would be able to copy it if he needed, but at their current moment he didn't need to draw attention to himself.

"What brings you this way?" asked the second man — _Number Two_, his mind supplied unhelpfully. His body language was aggressive, chest puffed out, arms flexing, blue eyes glaring. Itachi allowed himself to look them over as if he really were his age, and took note that Number Two was aroused.

"'eaded to Busan to see our mother," answered Kakashi. Itachi was pleased to see that he wasn't acting too overly friendly with the man, giving off a small vibe of discomfort. It was common to see bandits and other common thugs on the roads of Tea, especially since the country didn't have a shinobi network to enforce the laws of decency, and it wasn't out of character for older travellers to be wary of strangers.

Itachi's confidence in Kakashi completing his end of the mission increased exponentially. He hadn't had a doubt before, because Kakashi was the best of the best, but now he _believed_ it instead of just trusting it.

"Well," Number Two said with a grin, "if you wanna get to see your mum, you're gonna have to buy your way through. We're enforcers here, you see." Itachi fought the urge to cringe when the man dropped a hand to massage himself through his trousers, and Itachi instead turned his eyes to Kakashi's tense form.

Kakashi quickly emptied his pockets, pulling forth a bit of money that they had reserved for such situations. He was forced to stop when the two men left their spot beside the road, stepping in front of them with eyes trained on Kakashi's movements. Itachi huddled behind him, shooting glances at the two men that were more scared than what was really going through his mind.

"You too, darling," said Number One, inclining his head once towards Itachi. Itachi scrunched up his nose, partly because that was what his mother called him but mostly because children didn't like being told what to do, especially when it came to giving away money. Regardless, Kakashi sent him a look like a brother would, of no nonsense and _do this now or I swear to God_, and he followed orders, emptying out his own pockets.

Number Two ripped their travelling bags off their bags just as a shrill, feminine scream came from the rainforest. Kakashi and Itachi paused, eyes going wide simultaneously, while another male voice grunted and quickly snuffled out the woman's screams.

"You hear something?" asked Number Two, not looking up from digging in the travelling bags. He pulled out a few things that might've been worth something to steal, mostly clothing and the medicine that they had stashed.

"No, sir," said Kakashi, a convincing tremor in his voice as he handed over the money and a worthless ring that he had bought in Kakunodate. Itachi shook his head quickly, also handing over what he had been carrying in his pockets to Number One. There was no money, only a few pieces of candy and a rock he had picked up, things that a child would have in his pockets. Number One huffed and threw the rock to the trees, popping a hard candy in his mouth with a grin before he stepped forward.

Kakashi and Itachi were both frisked by Number One and Number Two respectively, not gently, and Itachi cringed away when Number Two began running his hands lingeringly down his chest and sides. Even though he saw the hit coming, a hard one that made him fall to the dirt road in a heap, he was internally pleased with himself for staying in character.

"God, you fuckin bitch," Number Two said, grabbing him by his henged hair and pulling him back upright. Itachi let out a sob, feeling a drip of blood run down his chin from his busted lip, and forced his eyes to water as the man continued his assessment. He pulled off Itachi's generic bracelet he had also picked up in Kakunodate before he crouched down and began running heavy hands down his legs.

"It's okay, Isamu," muttered Kakashi, not tearing his eyes away from Itachi like any good brother would do. Number One was being less thorough with his inspection, his eyes trained on Number Two as Itachi was groped. The Uchiha shook as thick fingers teasingly began up the insides of his thighs, edging closer and closer to where Itachi _did not_ want to be touched. When they reached their destination, he let out another sob, the forced tears streaming down his face.

"Please, don't," Kakashi pleaded, a twinge of panic in his tone. Itachi's wide eyes snapped to Kakashi's form and he reached out, only to be smacked on the thigh by Number Two. Itachi's legs buckled, and Number Two chuckled when he held up Itachi's body by his legs. "Please, you have our money...isn't that enough?"

"You ain't got shit," stated Number One. This was obviously a falsehood, considering Itachi and Kakashi had had plenty of money as to deter any muggers once their hands were full and there was nothing left to take, but Itachi knew better than to argue that point.

"Yeah," said Number Two, and Itachi barely had enough time to stretch his henge underneath his clothes before Number Two was lifting up his shirt slightly and laying a wet kiss onto the skin he found there. Being well-built as Itachi was would've given them away, and Itachi was almost weak with thankfulness. Not many people could do a jutsu without hand signs, let alone as seamlessly as Itachi had done, and he fought the urge to sigh with relief.

"Please, don't," choked out Itachi through the fake tears, wide eyes still trained on Kakashi. Number One had given up on the search and was watching Number Two with no shame, and the pleading coming from Kakashi's henged lips was constant and almost a whine by that point.

Number Two stood up suddenly and backhanded Itachi again, making Itachi fall to his knees. "I don't think I will," said Number Two, his grin wicked. His blue eyes were all but black by that point, the pupils blown by arousal, and he continued huskily, "I think that his pretty lips around my dick is payment enough for passage."

Itachi stayed tense but pliable while the dirt and rocks pressed painfully into his knees. He tried not to watch as the man unbuttoned his trousers and pulled out his fully erect manhood. Instead, he focussed on Kakashi, who was still letting out an unbroken string of protests. Itachi nearly frowned, because behind the gaze in those eyes Itachi could _see_ the calculation. Itachi shook his head, frantically to still seem terrified, but he tried to tell Kakashi with his eyes that it was okay, that he could do this.

This situation made Itachi _fully_ understand why Kakashi and other shinobi would accept mission such as Kakashi's current one, why Kakashi didn't even bat an eyelash at the idea of prostituting himself for his village. There were things more important than dignity and virtue, and Itachi knew that he would have to do this for optimum success. If this was what it took to keep Sasuke and his village safe, then he would do it gladly.

"Please," he whispered, the taste of blood in his mouth almost overpowering. He said it only to Kakashi, but the emotion was conveyed properly: _do not interfere_. The fire in Kakashi's eyes was intense, and Itachi heard him offer himself instead, but he was ignored. Figured, honestly, because there was a perverted allure to defiling the innocent (even if Itachi had never been truly innocent).

"Open your mouth, bitch, and no teeth or I'll kill your brother, got it?" hissed Number Two, and Itachi shuddered with a loud sob, hesitating for a moment before opening his mouth.

Then Itachi stiffened as a chakra signature suddenly advanced on the two in the woods.

There was a blood-curdling scream from the forest before it was abruptly cut off, the tone was masculine, and very quickly the third man's natural chakra signature disappeared. Immediately Number One and Number Two were moving towards the sound, the latter hastily redoing his trousers, and Kakashi sprung into action the second their backs were turned.

"C'mon, we have to go," he muttered quietly, trying not to draw the men's attention, but Itachi didn't have to be told. He was already pulling himself up and grabbing his pack, and the two of them took off as fast as they dared. Number Two yelled after them once but didn't follow, clearly more concerned about their friend's well-being, and there was a commotion behind them soon after.

"What happened?" Itachi asked when they were past the bend and out of sight, not bothering to wipe his face of the blood and tears nor spit out the blood that still pooled in his mouth.

"I wasn't going to let that happen, kid," Kakashi answered, his words stilted whether from the adrenaline or from anger, "so I improvised."

"I could've handled it," bit out Itachi just as there was a bellow of anger and an explosion behind them.

Kakashi looked sideways at him for a small moment and smiled. "Oh I know that kid," he said, eyes crinkling, "but that doesn't mean I wanted it to happen."

Itachi and Kakashi didn't stop running until they were a mile from the gates of Gyoson, the night gone into a new dawn.


	4. Three: Deterioration of Perfection

Yo.

Sorry it took so long. Between going through treatment again because my body hates me and only having inspiration for a different ANBU Kakashi and a shit ton of zombies, it's hard to update this little bugger. But I should be getting up some more chapters for not only this, but my other works as well. Sorry about the wait again and the fact that it's unbeta'd. So, without further ado, happy reading!

Cheers!  
>Marx<p>

* * *

><p>Chapter Three<br>_Deterioration of Perfection_

-October-

Considering how they were moving like civilians, they made pretty good time.

They passed Busan in two days after their rest in Gyoson, only stopping for a few hours to replenish energy, and reached Degarashi Port two and a half days after that. Their boat, which left from the southern coastal city of Minatochō, was scheduled to leave in four days for the Land of Moon, giving them a good day and a half leeway if they made the remainder of the trip in another two and a half. Kakashi wasn't sure what they were going to do in Minatochō for a day and a half, since it was one of those places that existed just for the fisherman's share, but they would figure it out. They might've been forced to act like civilians, which meant no exuberant training in the grasslands to try and find out who could generate the biggest gōkakyū no jutsu – Kakashi, _obviously_, even though Itachi was Uchiha – but that didn't mean they couldn't get things accomplished.

They stopped for the night along the long grass by the road after a good six hours of travelling past Degarashi Port, not bypassing into the fields to stay hidden. The muggings didn't happen as often down south, since most of the money was by the bigger cities and north by Fire, but they were still vigilant regardless. They didn't set up any borders just in case a shinobi of high skill wandered past, but Kakashi figured that he himself was enough (and later on Itachi, who had been quiet for three days) to keep anything at bay.

Kakashi watched Itachi sleep for a long moment, frowning with the lips of his basic henge. The Uchiha child looked so ungodly small, curled up on top of a sleeping bag in a foetal position, his hand loosely grasping a kunai. Kakashi vaguely noted that he didn't look more innocent while sleeping like the majority of human beings, instead more troubled and haunted even, and the elder shinobi felt his fingers twitch at the sight. Itachi was so young, a mere ten-years-old, and the idea that Itachi felt tormented even in his dreams when he should've been dreaming of better things was daunting.

Then again, Kakashi had been no different. Itachi and Kakashi both had seen war, even if Kakashi's foray into said war was more in-depth and personal (_kill them!-kill them all!-hang their bodies off the trees and the stones and let their bloody tears fall to the dirt!_), so it was easy to say that Itachi should've been just as haunted as Kakashi had been at ten-years-old. Kakashi could remember blood and explosions and death-death-death, and that had haunted him long before his father had selfishly abandoned his son and killed himself.

Kakashi tore his eyes away from Itachi and his mind off the past and focussed on staying awake in the hot, humid, shadowed landscape.

* * *

><p>They took a side detour to an unpopulated stretch of coastline.<p>

It was about twenty-five kilometres from Minatochō, close enough that they could make the journey quickly if needed but far enough that they could still smell the nature of the land instead of the stench of civilisation. Itachi thought it rather lovely really – he enjoyed the peacefulness of it, a touch of land not tarnished by war or human ways, and it calmed his blood to just relax. They had a full day before the boat left (which would've been longer if Kakashi hadn't let him sleep longer than arranged for guard duty, the bastard), so they were more concerned of getting a bit of peace before the storm began.

After all, they would be in a different world, away from their homeland, for a long time before they were allowed to come home, and they needed to soak it up for as long as possible.

Itachi had been to the ocean before but he hadn't _been_ to the ocean before. He had been to other countries during the war and through missions, but that had been business. The oceans there, from what he had seen in his travels, were long expanses of rocky beaches, of grey and frothy liquid, of water tinged with red. He hadn't been able to appreciate the beauty of such scenery before, always focussed on his job and his explosion of self-hatred that immediately followed completion of said job, so at that moment in time with Kakashi by his side, he took the moment.

Tea beaches weren't the same as the beaches of the north. As Itachi finally stilled right at the crest of the water, he could see that very clearly.

It was beautiful. It really, really was. The water was a deep, smooth slate colour, the waves crashing white as pearls while littered with sand and dirt and seaweed. The sand in itself was a deep gold, littered with slimy-looking bits of seaweed and a few glistening seashells occasionally amongst them. The sun, in its mid-day glory, was bright to Itachi's left, making the rough surface of the ocean glitter with white and gold and the surface of the sand radiate heat.

Kakashi said from behind him, "It's quite nice, isn't it? Wait until you see Moon...it'll take your breath away." Itachi blinked, his eyes hurting from squinting through the bright sunshine, and turned towards Kakashi's voice.

"You've actually been to Moon then?" asked Itachi, genuinely curious. Itachi had never been off the continent, not even to Kiri during the war, so the other landmasses were mysteries to him. He had seen the few and occasional picture, and heard the stories from some of the shinobi of his clan, but pictures never gave justice and his clan was known for exaggeration. From Kakashi, the Land of Moon would be even more real to him until Itachi himself could step foot on the island.

_Tomorrow we sail, and in a week we arrive at Moon. Then we go to Sky, and may the metaphorical gods forgive us._

"Twice," said Kakashi. "Once was a classified ANBU mission so I obviously can't talk about it, but the other one was an escort mission. I was much, much younger, before becoming jōnin." Something foreign crossed Kakashi's face and eyes, and somehow Itachi was sure it wasn't simply the henge. Quickly though, it was wiped away before Itachi could get a good pinpoint on it, even with his own henged Sharingan activated. Kakashi continued, "My team and I were on the island for a week, and it was brilliant. I have good memories there, even for the short amount of time I was on the island."

Itachi wasn't sure what to say to that so he stayed silent, turning back towards the ocean crests. He watched it for a long time, listening to Kakashi leave his side to search for the particular hollowed-out rock that held the major portion of their mission allowance, feeling the hot and dry breeze ruffle his long hair. It was soothing, albeit mildly uncomfortable, and he found that he was rather enjoying himself, this peaceful place surrounding him.

Eventually Kakashi joined him back on the beach and said, "I wish I could kick your arse." Itachi let out a huff of air that might've been a laugh had he been a normal civilian, then paused. He blinked once, twice, and then tried again, laughing out loud and allowing his eyes to crinkle shut in the process. It was a bit rough because Itachi wasn't a laugher (especially out loud), but with practise he was bound to get better just like any other task he had set for himself.

Kakashi snorted and said, "That was shit, kid."

Itachi turned his head and glared, even though he knew Kakashi was correct in his statement. It really was shit. Regardless, he said in a remarkably even tone, "Practise makes perfect. I have two weeks to prepare for being a child and by then I'll be able to sufficiently pass as a normal, civilian ten-year-old. I just need practise."

"Practise makes _better_," Kakashi stated simply, shrugging his shoulders as he squatted down on the beach. One of his henged hands drew absent symbols in the sand while the other one hung loosely off his knee, and he continued, "Perfection is boring, and implausible. There's no such thing as a perfect shinobi, and there never will be. Don't strive for that, or you'll live a very unfulfilling life, kid."

Itachi didn't know what to say to _that_ either, so he squatted down right next to his mission captain, glancing over at the henged form, and said, "As I was."

Kakashi laughed then, and _his_ laugh was free and mission-ready.

* * *

><p>They walked along the beach slowly on their journey to Minatochō.<p>

They were in no hurry whatsoever, since they had plenty of time to waste until the boat left for Moon, so they walked in companionable silence in the sand. Itachi's shoes were in his hands and his trousers were rolled up to his knees so he could occasionally run through the sand lightning-quick, while Kakashi walked just out of reach of the crests with a small smile on his face. Kakashi was only nine years older than Itachi was, only a meagre three years more than the age difference between Sasuke and Itachi, and maybe this was what it was like having an older brother.

Itachi had always admired Kakashi, even if he hadn't been allowed to converse with him without severe repercussions from the clan. He had always known of Kakashi's immense skill (being known as the greatest assassin in perhaps the world as well as being the most priced head in the Bingo book tended to draw the eyes of people like Itachi, who aspired to be even a tenth as talented), but actually spending time with the man was most definitely eye-opening.

They didn't talk about anything too important, for obvious reasons. Not only were they from different worlds, but there was also so many missions and death that were classified or just too painful to relive. To talk personally, uncharacteristically since they were both intensely private people, was just improbable because it would make any conversation tense and uncomfortable. Besides, Itachi _was_ ten, and while he did appreciate that Kakashi was treating him like an adult, there were just some things that just couldn't be said out of some twisted sense of childhood.

However, just enjoying the day like normal civilians, like two young people that trusted one another with their lives...it was calming, soothing. Nothing like spending time with Sasuke, but in a way it really _was_ similar. Itachi had never really been at the receiving end of attention, always being forced into an adult situation with his profession and having a younger brother, and to have Kakashi admonish him for being childish was fascinating.

Itachi admired Kakashi, to the point where it was near veneration considering the man's accomplishments, but this was different. Kakashi wasn't that person who had mastered an obscene amount of jutsu (most of said jutsu stolen from various clans, hence one reason for his legendary Bingo Book status), or had killed more people than Itachi had probably seen in his entire life, or had quite literally helped end the Second War with his actions at Hanabi Bridge and the Battle at Awegakure. Kakashi, in that moment, was just another person in the world, but one that treated Itachi like a human being instead of a child-weapon of destruction.

Itachi glanced at Kakashi from the corner of his eyes, and Kakashi smiled at him. Not a big smile, but genuine all the same, and that was enough for him to know that everything was going to work out perfectly.

Not that he had had any doubt, because they were both phenomenal shinobi, but still.

It was something.

* * *

><p>Minatochō was a small, but bustling place.<p>

Kakashi kept close to Itachi as they manoeuvred amongst the fishermen and children that congregated amongst the stalls. The market was full of fresh food, laughing families, and arguing men that tried to sell their stock to vendors in the streets. It was lively, colourful, and while Kakashi preferred the laughter and subdued enthusiasm from the Konoha civilians and shinobi alike, it was still rather familiar and lovely.

Kakashi fought a snort. _Lovely, _really...

Itachi was playing the part of 'young child' fairly well, even if he wasn't as seamless as Kakashi would've liked. There was time though, because the dual ship travelling was going to give them plenty of time to practise. There was a lot Itachi had to learn, and while Itachi was relatively quick to study and had observed children in play for many years, he still had to break those barriers that had been forced into him since birth.

First thing was first though...

Kakashi dragged him to an inn, renting a room with their fake names and identification. Itachi grinned, albeit a bit awkwardly to the trained eye, and followed Kakashi up to their room for the evening with childish amusement until the door was shut. It slipped of his face as if it had been water, and Kakashi rolled his eyes, pulling out some clothes as he inclined his head.

Itachi took the shower first, and Kakashi pulled out a book that he had been carrying in his pack. It was on modern history, mostly localised upon the warfare in Amegakure and how it had effected the government and civilians there; while it was dry, it was time consuming enough where he could think absently without having to ponder on procedure or etiquette of the mission at hand.

Itachi did have a lot to learn, to be sure, but Kakashi was more than willing to let it slide by for a while. And by a while he meant until they both showered and settled in for the night.

Kakashi was apprehensive about his contact, when he thought about it. Etiquette and procedure aside, he had no idea what he was going to face when trying to get to Kujimo. His conquests of sorts were all over the board – some brunet, some blond, some red-headed. Sometimes he went through stages of men with blue eyes and sometimes it was darker eyes.

Even though it was assessed that Kujimo's fancy was lighter hair and dark eyes, Kakashi didn't know if it would change by the time that he got there. Perhaps he wanted red-heads with purple eyes instead of someone that fit Kakashi's current description, and that would pose to be a problem. It was simple enough to just take away the scars and the eye and the tattoo with a henge, but after a long period of time it would be taxing to his chakra and stamina. If he had to change his hair, skin, eyes, height, weight, or anything else just to be desirable for Kujimo, that would make it that much harder to keep it in check.

Kakashi knew what would happen while gathering intel. He would consistently be fishing for information while keeping up a semi-permanent henge, but he would also have to deal with politics, shinobi lifestyle in Sky, and acting in a perfect manner that ensured that Kujimo wouldn't grow bored of him too quickly and wish to end Kakashi's life (which wouldn't happen).

There was also the sex.

Kakashi was going into _that_ particular situation completely blind. For all he knew, Kujimo could've been a sadistic psychopath with a series of kinks that would break a normal person. And while Kakashi wasn't normal, and knew what torture was like as well as how to block it off appropriately, it was still something of utmost importance to consider. Keeping up the act, the henge, and the politics while nursing an abusive consort-ship with a man he was spying on and planning on killing was a lot to put on a plate.

Then again, not all men were into sadistic pleasures. Perhaps he would have a kink of treating Kakashi like a child or something. Maybe he would be so utterly boring in bed that Kakashi would have all the time in the world to make sure his ears were open and his henge was perfect.

One of his old brothels had sold sadism. The one in Fuzen, his first one, had been one of those, where Kakashi (at thirteen) had been beaten, brutalised, and forced into such acts of submission that even he had been scarred from it to almost the level of Obito's death. He hadn't regretted it, because when he had successfully completed his mission he had single-handedly saved six thousand lives in northern Fire including the other slaves in the brothel.

But his second had treated him so well that he would've regretted leaving if he had loved his country any less. He had been treated as a precious angel, being fourteen and 'innocent', and all of the men and women who had frequented that brothel had brought him gifts and kept him well-fed, spoilt even. He had even enjoyed himself with the boys and girls he had met there, and a few times he had even wholeheartedly enjoyed the sex itself.

Boys had needs, after all, and while Kakashi hated being doted on, it had been a relief after the Fuzen brothel.

He _had_, occasionally, enjoyed himself at the more...severe brothels. The one in Fuzen had been a learning experience despite his virginity not being an issue, so he hadn't taken the time to really pay attention to the sex itself. His third one in the Land of Stone had been a mixture between creepy perverts with weird fetishes and some that had put him out of commission for a good week of recovery. Strangely, he had preferred the latter, because he could deal with being strangled and hung by his wrists from the ceiling as he was whipped and fucked from behind. He _couldn't_ deal with being put in diapers and asking for his daddy's dick.

Somehow, he always ended up puking his guts out because without fail his real-and-very-dead father would always pop into his mind during such scenarios.

He liked a few of the kinky things, and male whores liking the sex was always a bonus when servicing clients. They liked knowing they were important and skilled in what they did, and if their whore liked it, then they got off on it more. Unless they didn't want their whore to enjoy it, and then they dealt with that accordingly as well.

So in full circle, he wasn't sure what he was going to get himself into. He didn't know what the consorts dealt with, because they were all dead and that was all there was to it. It wasn't like he could walk up to the sonofabitch and demand inside information on the man's sex life. Well, he could've, but he wouldn't get the information. He would just attack and Kakashi would've been forced to retaliate in order to save his own skin.

Itachi came out of the restroom, a towel around his neck so the water coming from his hair was caught from falling on the floor. Kakashi, glancing once at him, felt such an overwhelming sense of relief at that moment that the Uchiha heir would be living in luxury with friendlies, playing with children his age as he just simply listened to the words around him.

For some reason, he didn't want Itachi in Kakashi's own position. Even though the kid would've been phenomenal and accomplished the mission with brilliant results.

The kid needed to be just that, a kid, for once in his fucking life.

* * *

><p>Itachi didn't get much sleep that night.<p>

Kakashi had tried to take the first shift that night but the Uchiha heir had insisted on otherwise. Kakashi's reflexes and response after a full day of no sleep wasn't going to help them just in case something happened, however unlike that might've been, and Itachi had taken first watch. It had been like pulling teeth from a child, but in the end Itachi had gotten his way.

Partly because Itachi hadn't been tired at all, but mostly just to prove a point, Itachi didn't wake Kakashi up that night for his shift. If Itachi had gotten a full night, then Kakashi would to, and if he bitched about it, then he could go put a kunai in his jugular for all Itachi cared. They'd be getting plenty of rest on the ship, anyway.

He spent the night on the balcony, feeling the hot, salty breeze caress his hair and skin as he relaxed in the wooden chair. He was utterly content at that moment, watching the fishing boats in the late night waters and the light bustle of foot traffic below him, knowing that in the late morning they would be on the ship and there would be nothing to do but ready themselves before their long mission.

Itachi distracted himself by thinking of how Kakashi was acting. Perhaps it had been the fact that he hadn't slept, although that was improbable because shinobi (especially ANBU) were trained to go days without sleep and still be functional soldiers, but Kakashi had been really neglecting himself. He barely ate if he could help it, opting instead of laze around and read a book though Icha Icha was nowhere to be found, and refused to work out at all. He had just watched Itachi do his daily routine in the middle of the hotel floor, the Uchiha heir completely against the idea of letting his physical fitness go even if they were headed to a tropical environment and being incredibly in shape was like a sign above his head. There were henges that could take care of that if need be, and besides, he had to be fit enough to carry out his assassination in the future. The Hokage had given Itachi permission on that front, after all.

But Kakashi hadn't even attempted to join him, even though Itachi knew that the Hatake was a stickler of keeping his body in perfect condition. In ANBU, Kakashi had always stressed physical fitness as being the epitome of success in a mission, which was true. It didn't matter how fast one could weave signs or activate a dojutsu if they couldn't evade and attack their opponent, because ninjutsu and genjutsu wouldn't help anyone if they had a sword in their chest. It was simple, basic common sense.

Kakashi hadn't made a single attempt to train his body at all since they had gotten out of Fire, and was even neglecting his health in regards to food. The only time he would eat was if they were in public, and even then his portions were meagre at best.

It made no sense to Itachi. He understood that being incredibly fit during this mission would be detrimental to staying undercover, but there was a difference between being incredibly fit and healthy in general. If Kakashi didn't give himself even the slightest bit of physical training, the only thing it would do effectively was cut down his muscle mass and make him incapable of doing his job when the time came. How was Kakashi supposed to defend himself or assassinate his target if he was too weak to pick up a kunai and execute a killing blow with his usual finesse? It just seemed counterproductive to what they were trying to accomplish as a unit, and Itachi was seriously debating on calling his captain out on it.

He understood that Kakashi couldn't be bulky like he was now – although bulky wasn't really how Itachi would describe Kakashi, because the man had always been lean and wiry even with all of his physical discipline – because like it or not, the man would be a prostitute in every sense of the word and naked quite a bit. If he had a lot of muscle definition, there would be a serious issue with staying under the radar while in Sky. And Kakashi had stated pretty blatantly that he was planning on scrapping as much of his muscle definition as he could, using a henge if he couldn't manage it quickly enough, but there was still a difference between losing the tell-all definition and being incapable of being productive by starving himself.

Itachi glanced back into the room. Kakashi was back to his normal persona, silver hair glistening in the moonlight and black mask covering the lower portion of his face, but even from here Itachi could see with his sharp gaze that Kakashi's closed eyes were shadowed with fatigue. Itachi knew from his own experiences and his teachings that such was common with lack of sleep and denying the urge to eat for extended periods of time, and it simply wasn't healthy. He was going to end up being unserviceable or completely useless if he kept it up, and that bothered Itachi for some inexplicable reason.

He forced himself to abandon the thoughts, eventually returning to staring at the life around them. If Kakashi was doing this, then there had to be a legitimate reason as to why. Itachi knew the man through ANBU and Kakashi's own infamy, and if there was one thing that Kakashi would not do, it would have to be fucking up a mission. Kakashi was likely confident in his abilities no matter his physical nature, and it wasn't Itachi's place to voice his concerns anyway. Kakashi would deliver his end of the mission phenomenally, because that was what Hatake Kakashi did.

There was no one in Konohagakure better than Kakashi at being a shinobi, period.

Itachi simply quelled his anxieties to the back of his mind and practised smiling, set on delivering just as soundly for his important mission.

* * *

><p>He woke up slowly, getting the distinct impression that he had slept much longer than anticipated.<p>

With a light groan, he sat up, scratching the top of his silver hair and blinking to relieve himself of the sandpaper-y feeling in his eyes. He glanced at the curtained window lethargically, noting the slight evidence of the early morning sun outside creeping from the bottom, and fought the urge to throw an end table at the curtain in spite. It was practically a disobeyed order by Itachi to let him sleep the night, and a hunk of fake wood at his back would be proper pay-back.

He didn't though, because Itachi would've been forced to evade lest fall off the balcony and the end table would end up on the street, and that would have been the complete opposite of being undercover.

He forced himself to stand up and walk groggily to the curtain, forming a few signs and letting the boring henge attach itself to his features before bracing himself and throwing open the curtains. He fought the urge to grumble and shield his eyes, instead reaching out to lightly smack the kid on the back of the head in irritation before turning and heading to shower.

He turned on the water as hot as it would go before undressing, letting the henge once again fall away. He stared in the mirror as the water heated and gradually began fogging his reflection, wondering what he was going to do in the next three or so weeks. He knew that he could dramatically change his body style in the three weeks it would take to get to Sky just by not eating and working out, but he debated on other courses of action in the meantime. With a few more signs, he began experimenting with the henge, watching as his tattoo, Sharingan, and scars disappeared like a hot spoon to uneven butter. He glanced at his torso in the mirror, barely able to make out his lean definition, before he reached an arm out and wiped the mirror free of condensation. The water remained, leaving his form in said mirror distorted, but there was enough to see as he extended the henge, removing all of his definition and leaving behind a body that was still wiry but clearly starving.

It would be better to go into the sister cities emaciated, because then the handlers would see desperation in his face and body and would leech off that. He knew, not only from his previous seduction missions but also from seeing it from the handler point of view (which he had also undertaken), that handlers monopolised on the condition of potential prostitutes. If a girl or boy was starving and broken on the streets, then the prospect of clean water, food, and a warm bed to sleep in was enticing, even if it came at a price. There were no other chances out there for street crawlers except prostitution, drug smuggling, or other criminal activities unless they managed to get uncommonly lucky. That was just how the world worked in the post-war world – too many people that had nothing and not enough jobs or opportunities for them all to have good lives.

After being taken in by a brothel, he would be given the opportunity to put back on weight and possibly even get back into shape. Most clients weren't into the half-starved look after all, so it was better for business to have thin but healthy workers at the businesses. Healthy, good-looking whores made for good investments, because they could work longer without permanent injury and brought in better clientèle.

He changed the colour of his hair slightly to a light blond, then to a medium brown, then to a soft black like Itachi's, and finally to a rather nice but unflattering auburn, spending a bit of time studying his reflection in the once again rapidly fogging mirror. Eventually though, he eased it back to his natural silver, knowing that it was the best bet. Silver was a rare colour, unlike white and grey and blond, so he would stick out as exotic. However, if that didn't go over too well, he could always use simple hair dye to change the colour if needed. He had dyed his hair before for missions like this, especially the ones on the mainland that could possibly point him out as the legendary Hatake Kakashi even without the easily-identifiable mask, and wasn't too bothered on doing it again. His hair colour was the least of his worries.

He finally dropped the entire henge completely, frowning slightly as his Sharingan came back into view. One aspect of his henge was a bit daunting, when it came to the Sharingan. He wasn't sure how he could have it closed or covered without drawing suspicion to himself, but if he didn't hide the Sharingan, he would seriously have a problem when it came to his chakra. The last thing he needed on this mission was to suffer from chakra depletion, which would inevitably occur if he had to keep both eyes open consistently. After all, Kakashi couldn't turn Obito's gift off, so every time he opened the Sharingan he was forced to push chakra through the eye and therefore was putting himself in danger of diminution. If he had total depletion, or even close to it, he could lose his control and slip on his henge or lapse on it completely, and shinobi had fallen into comas before from less. Hell, even whenever Kakashi himself used the Sharingan too much on the field, he would pass out and wake up in hospital or a makeshift camp a few days later.

He could cover it up, say that he was blind and leaving it open fucked up his depth perception and disorientated him. Besides, he would be alone a lot, especially in the beginning of the mission while he was still working the brothel and getting a reputation there. It would take a bit of time and patience before he would be picked up by Kujimo as it was, because one did not simply troll into the nearest establishment and immediately get picked up to be the personal consort of the head of Sky's military.

No one got _that_ lucky, not even shinobi of Kakashi's calibre that knew exactly what they were doing.

He hopped into the shower and let the hot water rush over his body, comforting and blistering, beginning the process of mentally preparing himself for the future.


End file.
